Victoria T. (justicepirate) reviewed on 5/11/2015 + 350 more book reviews

This book being the sequel to Candle in the Darkness (which I gave 5 stars to) didn't exactly meet the expectations I had. I loved the first book so very dearly (it made me cry, this one didn't), but this one, instead of focusing on the slavery during the Civil War period as the first one did, focused more on two different women and how they helped the Union army. I guess because I know the first and third books are about slavery (and I'm an abolitionist for Justice-network.org), I was hoping this would talk more about it. It was mentioned but was a background thing, not much of a foreground. It was definitely good though.

The first person we learn about is Julia, Caroline's cousin who we had met for a period during the first book. Her heart desires Nathaniel Greene, the minister. I think partly why I didn't enjoy this book so much is because in the first book he was all about abolition but he didn't mention anything about it at all in this book and was more about just being selfless and helping those who are suffering in the war in general. It is kinda as if they changed who he was, though they mentioned how he spoke of abolition a couple of times in the past. Caroline will do anything to get the attention of the young minister in hopes that he'll want to marry her. So many men would love to marry her but the one she wants doesn't seem to care and seems to loathe her. In order to make him like her, she starts to see the person he saw and dove into nurse work in order to become the woman he wanted. Her whole story develops so well where she starts to understand God's will for her life. She believes highly in loving God first and her neighbor second.

We learn of a new character named Phoebe, but her brothers call her "Ike" for some reason (never explained why). When her big brothers go off to war, she is left alone. She is not very pretty and looks a bit manly. She decides to sign up for the army. As far I know the army always made you strip down before you were able to be put in even in Civil War times, but perhaps I'm wrong there. Somehow she gets in and lasts in there for a long time. Anyway, she starts to understand God's love for her as she begins to fall in love with a fellow soldier.

This story is quite a bit about how lies can get you into trouble, how we should care more about God than what other people think about us, and how it is important to show love to all people including the "Least of these", and how when you are in love you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the other person.

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