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Over on social media, you told me what your favorite civil war novels are. And here are the results! Thank you to all who answered the question about your favorite civil war novels.
Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green
It’s April 1861, and a small group of women, including Charlotte Waverly, decide to do something about it, and end up changing the course of the war, despite criticism, ridicule and social ostracism.
An Irish immigrant named Ruby O’Flannery, who turns to the unthinkable in the face of starvation, holds the secret that will unlock the door to Charlotte’s future. But will the rich and poor confide in each other in time?
Colors of Truth by Tamara Alexander
Tennessee, 1866
Catriona leaves behind her Irish homeland with nothing except the cash her brother sent.
Wade Cunningham is a former Federal soldier who works for the Secret Service and is trying to uncover counterfeiting rings in the postwar South.
When Wade meets Catriona, he is immediately intrigued by her —but what he doesn’t anticipate is that the cash in Catriona’s possession is some of the most convincing counterfeit money he’s ever seen. Soon the object of Wade’s affection is also the suspect in a major crime—one he’s expected to prosecute.
There is a Season by Andrea Boeshaar
Carrie Ann Bell Collier will do anything to keep Peyton, her wounded husband, alive. She meets a nurse who promises miracles if she is permitted to administer her secret medicine.
However, Peyton’s memory of the past year seems to have been erased by his injuries. When this news reaches Carrie, she writes to him and describes their loving relationship.
But a scheming nurse intercepts Carrie’s letters, and Peyton remains unaware of his marriage. Only flashes fill his mind.
Will Peyton remember their love?
Red Sky over America by Tamara Lynn Kraft
In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.
America’s classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.
Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin
The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family, Caroline Fletcher is raised to believe slavery is God-ordained and acceptable. But on awakening to its cruelty and injustice, her eyes are opened to the men and women who have cared for her. At the same time, her father and her fiance are fighting for the Confederacy.
Where does Caroline’s loyalty lie? Emboldened by her passion to make a difference and her growing faith, will she risk everything she holds dear?
No Man’s Daughter by Kathleen Maher
When his elderly neighbor passes after the war, Benjamin Sharpe inquires to purchase the land. What he doesn’t expect to find is a beautiful and stubborn squatter has taken residence. Will her claim on the property prove harder to drive out than her claim on his heart?
When the Sharpe’s elderly neighbor passes after the war leaving a vacant farm with no heir, Benjamin Sharpe inquires to purchase the land. What he doesn’t expect to find is a beautiful and stubborn squatter has taken residence. Will her claim on the property prove harder to drive out than her claim on his heart?
Willa looked after Old Mr. Thompson through the war until his death. The late owner promised her a permanent home there, like the daughter he never had, but with some strings attached. When young and ambitious Benjamin Sharpe shows up with intent to evict her, Willa gives him a piece of her mind with a piece of lead aimed at his boots.
The youngest of the Sharpe brothers, Benjamin has been bossed around his entire life by his brothers, and he isn’t about to take it from any girl. All three of his brothers have veterans’ boasting rights in the War, and he must prove his mettle, too. But will his ambitions go so far as to force a waif from her home? As the girl’s resourceful defense of the property frustrates his plans, admiration plucks at his heartstrings. Ben must find a compromise while saving face with his family. But the chit has no intention of playing nice or seeking truce. In Bridgewater, Virginia, the war is still on!
Transcript
Welcome to Christian Historical Fiction Talk. I am so glad to have you along with me for this episode because if it’s happening in the world of Christian historical fiction, you know that we are talking about it here. Before we get into today’s topic, I just want to remind you that if you would like more information about all the books that we talked about today and some handy links for purchasing them, be sure to head over to my website, which is liztolsma.com. You’ll find all that information there, right at your fingertips.
A lot of the content for today’s show cam, from those who follow Christian Historical Fiction Talk on social media. So, if you don’t follow us yet, please be sure to let us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram because that way, you’ll know when new episodes are releasing. And I like to share some of my favorite reads and some of your favorite reads over there as well. So we have fun. Come check us out on social media.
I don’t have an author to introduce today or anything like that because we’re going to be talking about a topic. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome to the show. Sometimes we have authors on, sometimes we talk about topics. Sometimes we talk about industry news. That’s a little mix and mash of everything, but we always have a really good time. We’re glad to have you along with us. Thank you for checking us out. I hope that you stick around. Please subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform so that you don’t miss out on anything.
I thought about what to do for this week’s topic, and I came up with What are your favorite Civil War novels. My first thought was that Civil War novels were kind of on the outs right now. They used to be really hot, maybe 5 to 10 years ago, and then Edwardian and World War II has sort of taken over, even Great Depression. Those seem to be really, really popular right now as far as historicals.
Maybe Civil War novels had fallen out of fashion. But in my research for this podcast, I found that that is not the case at all, that Civil War novels, are still very popular and authors are still putting out new Civil War novels as you’ll see as we go through the show.
Several of the books that I talk about either are not out yet, will be coming out very soon, or have just released. So there are some new ones to check out and we’ll also go back and look at some maybe of your favorite ones from a while ago that you have not read in a while that maybe you want to go pick up again and reread. They’re definitely worth it.
What about the Civil war that draws you in? Perhaps it’s the era and the clothes that they wore. Perhaps it’s the edge of the seat excitement and suspense that can be part of a war novel. Perhaps it has something to do with brother fighting brother and a country divided. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I have always loved the Civil War era. I have always loved reading Civil War novels.
So I was really interested to find out what you all thought were your favorite Civil War novels. So get your notepad out, get ready to write some of these down. Because if you haven’t read some of these that I’m going to mention here today, you’re going to want to make sure that you do as soon as possible.
The first one that popped into my mind and that somebody mentioned when I ask a question over on social media was Jocelyn Green’s book, Wedded to War. And in fact, her entire series Heroines behind the Lines. Wedded to War was book one in that series. This was a fantastic book. I remember when it came out in 2012 and all the hype and anticipation about it, even before it came out, people were saying how good it was and I could not wait until it released so that I could get my hands on it. I was very excited for it.
Wedded to War was the 2013 Christy or finalist in both the historical fiction and first novel categories. So you know it was a really, really good book. Still is.
It’s April 1861, and the Union army’s medical department is completely unprepared for the magnitude of war. A small group of New York City women, including 28-year-old Charlotte Waverly, decided to do something about it and end up changing the course of the war, despite criticism, ridicule, and social ostracism.
Charlotte leaves a life of privilege, wealth, and confining expectations to be one of the first female nurses for the Union Army. She quickly discovers that she’s fighting more than just the rebellion by working in the hospital. Corruption, harassment, and opposition from Northern doctors threaten to push her out of her new role.
At the same time, her sweetheart disapproves of her shocking strength and independence, forcing her to make an impossible decision. Will she choose love and marriage r duty to a cause that seems to be losing?
An Irish immigrant named Rubio Flannery who turns to the unthinkable in the face of starvation holds the secret that will unlock the door to Charlotte’s future. But will the rich and poor confide in each other in time?
It was an outstanding book. I absolutely did love it when I read it, it was worth the wait. It was worth all the hype. Even though it is Jocelyn Green’s, debut novel, it is so characteristically Jocelyn Green. It’s written very well with her historical detail in full force already. She just burst onto the scene and has kept going ever since then.
And even though this is a work of fiction, the story is inspired by the true life of Civil War nurse Georgiana, Wolseley. Wolseley’s letters and journals written over a hundred fifty years ago ffer a thorough look of what pioneering nurses did. So I love that.
She took a real-life woman, a real-life Civil War nurse and used her as the inspiration for Charlotte Waverly in Wedded to War. I would highly recommend it. Or if you have not read it yet, or if it’s been a while since you’ve read Wedded to War, go back and reread it because it’s so worth it. And I’m sure that you’ll remember how good it was.
Of course, no discussion about Civil War novels would be complete without a discussion of Tamara Alexander. She’s one of the top Civil War authors. Her books are absolutely fabulous. One commenter mentioned Tamara Alexander and especially her book Colors of Truth. It’s two in the two-book series, The Carnton.
This book actually has an interesting past to it. It was twice delayed by Tamara’s former publisher and finally canceled when Tamara refused to rewrite real history. It was released last year by a small press, and I think you are absolutely going to love it. Its getting all kinds of great reviews. Absolutely fabulous.
Tennessee in 1866. According to the last letter Irish immigrant Catriona O’Toole received from her twin brother, Ryan, he was being dispatched to Franklin, Tennessee, as a conscripted confederate soldier. He likely endured the bloody Battle of Franklin that claimed the lives of thousands.
Catriona leaves behind lush, green of their Irish homeland in search of him with nothing to her name, except the sum of cash, Ryan sent to their family. Now, the sole provider for her seven-year-old spitfire sister Nora, Catriona hopes to reunite the siblings, the only surviving members of their devastated family.
Wade Cunningham is a former Federal soldier who now works for the newly formed United States Secret Service and is trying to uncover counterfeiting rings in the post-war South. In order to infiltrate their sophisticated enterprise, he has posed as a former Confederate in Franklin, a town where counterfeit greenbacks run rampant.
When he meets Catriona, he is immediately intrigued by her and the little redheaded scamp in her care. But what he doesn’t anticipate is that the cash in Catriona’s possession is some of the most convincing counterfeit money he’s ever seen. Soon the object of his affection is also the suspect in a major crime—one he’s expected to prosecute.
This book is filled with rich historical detail, and multi-faceted prose. It tells a riveting tale of truth, betrayal, and unlikely love. And it was a 2021 Readers’ Choice Award winner.
It’s a book that, as I said before, is really earning some very, very high praise. And one that you are going to With This Pledge. And this one is taken from the pages of history and accounts of those who endured the Battle of Franklin.
Tamara weaves real life love letters into a story of unlikely romance. Both With This Pledgeand Colors of Truth are stand-alone books. So you dont have to read them in any certain order. You can read one, you don’t have to read the other one.
There is a third book in this series coming out in the summer of 2021, which is now. I don’t see that yet, but we will keep our eyes open for that to be coming. But you want to be sure to check out the Carnton series, especially Colors of Truth, by Tamara Alexander. So thank you to the person on social media who brought that one to my attention. Sounds really good. Some new civil war books from Tamara Alexander. Cant go wrong with that.
One author that popped into my mind when I started thinking about what Civil War novels I would like to talk about and which ones I would recommend is Andrea Boeshaar. She has several Civil War novels out. In fact, she has a whole series out, and she has a brand new one coming in September of 2021. So there are plenty of new ones coming out. There are plenty that are going to be out there for you to get into and enjoy, ones that you haven’t even read before.
This is also part of a series, the Shenandoah Valley Saga. This is book three. A Thousand Shall Fall is book 1 and Too Deep for Words is book, two. They’ve been out for a little bit of time, but we finally have book 3 coming out in the Shenandoah Valley Saga.
Driven by a guilty conscience, Carrie Ann Bell Collier will do anything to keep Peyton, her wounded husband, alive while in City Point Virginia. She meets a nurse who promises Miracles if she is permitted to administer her secret medicine made from the seeds of poppies from the Orient. Nurse Hannah Emery hopes to obtain a patent for the brew and become famous among medical scholars. Carrie agrees to allow Miss Emery to give Peyton the injections.
He steadily shows signs of improvement.
As weeks and months pass, Confederate Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Kent, maintains his responsibilities to the Colliers as the executive of Peyton’s estate. Eli stands by the promise he made to Carrie in City Point and does not pursue her. However, Peyton’s memory of the past year seems to have been erased by his injuries. When his news reaches Carrie, she writes to him about their meeting, their swift wedding, and loving relationship.
But a scheming Nurse Emory intercepts Carrie’s letters, and Peyton remains unaware of his marriage. Only flashes fill his mind. Visions which Hannah convinces him are hallucinations.
It is then that Eli tells him something vastly different. Can Peyton trust him? He fought for the enemy last four years.
If only Peyton could remember.
I know she is a fabulous author. I have loved the other two books in this series and have been waiting for this one. So I’m very excited for September to come along. So there is a brand new Civil War book, coming out in September. And in the meantime, while you wait for There Is a Season, you can catch up to the rest of the series. A Thousand Shall Fall and Too Deep for Words.
Another of our commenters over on social media mentioned that she loved the Ladies of Oberlin series by Tamara Lynn Kraft. There are two books in this series. There is Red Sky Over America, and there is Lost in the Storm. So we’ll take a look at Red Sky Over America. And you can also check out Lost in the Storm, which is book two of the Ladies of Oberlin series.
William and America confront evil, but will it cost them everything? In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.
America’s classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.
Meet the ladies of Oberlin, the causes they are willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts.
That sounds really good and it’s an interesting take looking at these abolitionists from Oberlin College in the pre-civil War era. So some of these take place during the Civil War, some just right after, some right before it, like this one. That would be another series well worth checking out, The Ladies of Oberlin. The first one is Red Sky over America and other one is Lost in the Storm. Check out both of them by Tamara Lynn Kraft.
Of course, I cannot mention favorite Civil War novels without mentioning Lynn Austin. I thought about which one was my favorite Civil War series, and this one came to mind. Many of these are so, so good. It’s really hard to pick, but Lynn Austin just always captures my heart.
And she has a series that I read a while ago, but its timeless. It’s never going to go out of style. These books are always going to be good. If you have not read Lynn Austin’s Civil War series Refiner’s Fire, I highly recommend that you do.
So, the first one is Candle in the Darkness. Caroline Fletcher is caught in a nation, split apart and torn between the one she loves and a truth she can’t deny.
The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised to believe slavery is God ordained and acceptable, but on awakening to its cruelty and injustice, Her eyes are opened to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. At the same time, her father and her fiancé, Charles St. John, are fighting for the Confederacy and their beloved way of life and traditions.
Where does Caroline’s loyalty lie? Emboldened by her passion to make a difference, will she risk everything she holds dear?
That’s the first book in the series. The second one is Fire by Night and the third one is A Light to My Path. All fabulous, fabulous books by Lynn Austin. You know you won’t be disappointed by her. You know how much I love her. She’s one of my all-time favorite authors. She does so much so well, including World War II, Biblical fiction. But she has this gem of a civil war series that is so well worth reading.
Before we get to the next book, I wanted to mention some honorable mentions. You all are great with your answers. I didn’t have time to get to everything on this show. We may have to revisit this topic at some point down the line, but I wanted to mention Rosanna M. White’s book Dreams of Savannah. When she was here on the show, she mentioned this book. It sounded really, really good. I have not had a chance to read it but we heard her talk about Dreams of Savanah so pick that up for yourself as well.
Of course Michael Phillips and Gilbert Morris have multiple Civil War novels that are also very popular, and those might be ones that you want to check out as well.
So then our last book that I’m going to talk about is The Sons of the Shenandoah. This series is by Kathleen L. Maher about three different brothers. So it may be that you need to read them in the order in which they were written.
This series follows three brothers, the Sharpe brothers. One of the books starts before the war, the other at the beginning of the war, the last one, which just released in May, takes place just after the war. So you get a little bit of everything in this series. The third one, No One’s Daughter, that’s the one we’ll be focusing on because it’s the newest.
A man with something to prove a lady with something to hide clash over a hotly-contested property and a marriage proving anything but convenient.
When the Sharpe’s elderly neighbor passes after the war leaving a vacant farm with no heir, Benjamin Sharpe inquires to purchase the land. What he doesn’t expect to find is a beautiful and stubborn squatter has taken residence. Will her claim on the property prove harder to drive out than her claim on his heart?
Willa looked after Old Mr. Thompson through the war until his death. The late owner promised her a permanent home there, like the daughter he never had, but with some strings attached. When young and ambitious Benjamin Sharpe shows up with intent to evict her, Willa gives him a piece of her mind with a piece of lead aimed at his boots.
The youngest of the Sharpe brothers, Benjamin has been bossed around his entire life by his brothers, and he isn’t about to take it from any girl. All three of his brothers have veterans’ boasting rights in the War, and he must prove his mettle, too. But will his ambitions go so far as to force a waif from her home?
As the girl’s resourceful defense of the property frustrates his plans, admiration plucks at his heartstrings. Ben must find a compromise while saving face with his family. But the chit has no intention of playing nice or seeking truce.
In Bridgewater, Virginia, the war is still on!
You can tell just from that synopsis that Kathleen really has a way with words, and it sounds like No Man’s Daughter, book 3 in that series by Kathleen Maher sounds fabulous.
Wow, I can’t believe that’s it. I know I keep saying that. And you all are probably tired of me saying how fast the time goes. But when you get me talking about books it just goes, so fast. That is absolutely unbelievable. But I hope that you have maybe found a new author or two to check out here or some old ones that you’re like, oh yeah, it was so good. I have to go back and reread it.
If you would like more information about the books that we talked about here including some short synopsis of each one and links to each of these books, then please head over to my website which is liztolsma.com. You’ll find all that information there as well as a transcript of today’s podcast.
Next week, she’s going to come on and talk about her new book Under the Bayou Moon. It was a lot of fun when I recorded the interview a couple of weeks ago. And I think you’re going to love this book set in Louisiana in 1949. We’re going to take a little trip to the South. You’ll see how Southern this book is. It really a lot of fun to talk to Valerie. She has worked for Southern Living magazine, so she is very Southern, and we had an absolutely marvelous chat, one that you aren’t going to want to miss out on.
So if you are not subscribed to your Christian Historical Fiction Talk, be sure to do so or follow Christian Historical Fiction Talk on social media so that you don’t miss any of these upcoming episodes.
Thank you again for taking some time out of your day to spend with me and to talk about books, which is one of my favorite topics, and I know it’s one of your favorite ones too. Have a great week, and we will see you next time.