Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green -CFBA Review

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Widow of Gettysburg   River North; New Edition edition (April 12, 2013) by Jocelyn Green

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jocelyn Green is a child of God, wife and mom living in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She is also an award-winning journalist, author, editor and blogger. Though she has written nonfiction on a variety of topics, her name is most widely recognized for her ministry to military wives: Faith Deployed. Her passion for the military family was fueled by her own experience as a military wife, and by the dozens of interviews she has conducted with members of the military for her articles and books, Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and its sequel, Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. She is also co-author of both Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front (forthcoming, May 2012). Her Faith Deployed Web site and Facebook page continue to provide ongoing support, encouragement and resources for military wives worldwide.





ABOUT THE BOOK

When a horrific battle rips through Gettysburg, the farm of Union widow Liberty Holloway is disfigured into a Confederate field hospital, bringing her face to face with unspeakable suffering--and a Rebel scout who awakens her long dormant heart.

While Liberty's future crumbles as her home is destroyed, the past comes rushing back to Bella, a former slave and Liberty's hired help, when she finds herself surrounded by Southern soldiers, one of whom knows the secret that would place Liberty in danger if revealed.

In the wake of shattered homes and bodies, Liberty and Bella struggle to pick up the pieces the battle has left behind. Will Liberty be defined by the tragedy in her life, or will she find a way to triumph over it? Widow of Gettysburg is inspired by first-person accounts from women who lived in Gettysburg during the battle and its aftermath.

My thoughts:  After reading the first book in this series I found myself waiting for this one to come out!  As I may have mentioned I've reenacted the Civil War for over 20 years now and love all things associated with it. The best part is the perfect timing of the book.  This year marked the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg and as I read this book my husband was travelling to participate in the reenactment of the battle! Now onto my review!  I really loved that we get to revisit briefly the main character in the first book and that there is a connection between her and our new main character Liberty.  In learning about Liberty, who she is and how she finds herself I have to say she embodies a lot of the women of the war and what they learned as well as how they changed.  I loved that this book also has a nursing aspect and tells of the medical side of the war.  I am particularly glad it talked about the use of medicines and how opium was used and overused quite a bit.  I am highly recommending this book!  Everyone should read it.  In fact I believe that so much that it is already on its way to being read by another person who will then pass it on!  Oh and extra great jobs to the author for doing her research on intermarriage laws in the south AND the north during the war!  (Now you want to know what I'm talking about don't you!  Read the book!)

If you would like to read the first chapter of Widow of Gettysburg, go HERE.