Description: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston's quietly held principles oppose those of the Southern Cause--but when forty thousand soldiers converge on the fields of Franklin, Tennessee, the war demands an answer. The Carnton home, where she is governess, is converted into a Confederate hospital, and Lizzie is called upon to assist the military doctor with surgeries that determine life or death. Faced with the unimaginable, she must summon fortitude, even as she fears for the life of Towny, her fiancé and lifelong friend.
As
a young soldier lies dying in Lizzie's arms, she vows to relay his
final words to his mother, but knows little more than the boy's first
name. That same night, decorated Mississippi sharpshooter Captain Roland
Ward Jones extracts a different promise from Lizzie: that she intervene
should the surgeon decide to amputate his leg.
Lizzie
is nothing if not a woman of her word, earning the soldiers' respect as
she tends to the wounded within Carnton's walls. None is more admiring
than Captain Jones, who doesn't realize she is pledged to another. But
as Lizzie's heart softens toward the Confederate captain, she discovers
his moral ground is at odds with her own. Now torn between love,
principles, and pledges made, she struggles to be true to her own heart
while standing for what she knows is right--no matter the cost.
My Thoughts: I'll start by saying that I believe this to be one of Tamera Alexander's best written books. The events which transpire are vividly described and well handled. The realities of war are described in detail, without being graphic, and most of the side characters are given strong backgrounds which set them off the page.
I struggled with the first part of the book, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because when it comes to bones, I'm a lot more squeamish than Lizzie is. But it was also in those chapters that I found myself the most invested. I believe it is due to Tamera's dedication to research. Though I cannot say for sure, I imagine that the reason those scenes came to life so well was because those people where real. There was someone at Carnton praying the psalms, there teenage boys waiting for surgery right alone side grown men. Dying beside grown men.
But despite my love of the story, and Tamera's writing, there was one detail that somewhat soured it for me. As with most Southerner's of the time, Captain Jones is a supporter of slavery, and though by the end of the story he has admitted this as a fault, that admission felt to me a little too easy. While Lizzie struggles to find the courage to speak her opinion, and finds that courage through watching the courage of others and hearing the stories of slaves who are abused, Captain Jones fairly easily accepts that all people should be free. But even then it felt as though that admission came only because the war left him no choice, his slaves were going to be taken from him either way.
I would have liked for Captain Jones to have apologized to George. For him to have heard the same story that Lizzie did about what happened to George's sister who had tried to escape... the same sister who had also been one of Captain Jones' slaves. It's never really clear whether or not Captain Jones knew what happened. Maybe she ran away while he was at war. But I still felt that he should have had to confront the pain he had caused others, not just admit that he shouldn't do it anymore.
I am glad that Tamera did address one issue with Captain Jones which I believe people often forget, that being that people will struggle to admit when they have done something wrong not just because it will place them at fault but because it will also cast blame on the role models who taught it to them. And most often people choose their beloved heroes over the hurting people right in front of them. It is something that we all do, even with small things like lying or making inappropriate comments.
So while I cannot say that this story hit all the notes I had hoped for, I can say that it is a good book. I'm glad that I was able to read it and hope that Tamera comes out with another one soon.
I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book through the publisher.
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