White Doves at Morning Author:James Lee Burke 1861. Two young Southerners, friends despite their differing political views and backgrounds, enlist in the 18th Louisiana regiment of the Confederate Army: Robert Perry, wealthy and privileged, and irreverent Willie Burke, the son of Irish immigrants, face the trials of battle and find redemption in the love of a passionate and committed abolit... more »ionist, Abigail Downing, and in the courageous struggle of Flower Jamison, a beautiful slave. Filled with a cast of unforgettable characters, and penetrating a landscape of shattering Civil War bloodshed as few novels have, this epic from an American literary giant endows readers with the gift of experiencing the past through new eyes, while its timeless prose style -- at once luminous and brutal -- ensures the legacy of this bloodiest of conflicts will never be lost.« less
This is NOT a Dave Robicheaux novel, it is a "riveting evocation of the Civil War, drawn from the true family history" of James Lee Burke. This book dispels any possible doubt that he is a very fine writer, beyond the genre of "detective fiction." As the Washington Post says: "Violent, lyrical, and engrossing....The man has a touch of the poet in him."
Very good read. I couldn't wait to get back when I had to put it down. Written a little like "Papa H" with all the adjectives but still very enjoyable. Love this era. Mary Lee C.
An epic tale of love, hate, survival set against the Civil War. Author has skill at memorable characters, acute dialogue and wonderfully evocative descriptions.
This is my first James B. read at the suggestion of a friend. I was intrigued to explore the Civil War from the perspective of the South. And to come back to the tenet that people, no matter where they are from, are human beings.
I enjoyed the book and did some research to find out just how the characters I read about are his ancestors. I wish that had been included in the book.
"White Doves at the Morning" is a very colorful work of historical fiction about the Civil War. The characters are wonderful and I continuually wanted to know what would happen next. The main setting is New Iberia, Louisiana with action taking place in other war ravished regions as well. Characters include a plantation owner, slaves, the plantation owners black daughter, madams, soldiers, as well as good and bad men and women throughout. The story moves into what happened to the town and the towns people during and post war and realisticly depicts the slow recovery of the area. The author is highly discriptive of the area including vision and smell in great detail. This is a truely memorable novel.
If your a civil war history buff this is a great read. Just as good as Cold Mountain. I love the way Mr. Burke writes. You can see everthing he talks about.
