jjares reviewed on 3/19/2017 + 3413 more book reviews

This is a book that is saturated with emotions and moves at a rapid pace -- the end arrives before the reader has a chance to catch a breath. The opening chapter grabs the reader's attention and holds it until the end.

Union Caption John Howe has escaped from the awful Confederate prison in Salisbury, North Carolina. He goes to the wrong house and grabs seventeen-year-old Amanda Douglas at gunpoint. It is a sorry fact that Amanda agrees to accompany the dangerous escapee rather than stay with her Puritanical and hate-filled father.

Howe understands that Amanda can never return to her father's home again and he promises to provide her with a safe place to live after she has helped Howe. When he arrives home in Washington, DC, however, his family and friends are upset by the baggage John has brought home. They are still dressed to the nines and their lives have hardly changed since the beginning of the war. They have no interest in learning the true carnage and suffering of the Civil War. Amada continues to help John by keeping him grounded as he recovers physically and emotionally.

John continuously feels guilty about leaving behind his best friend, Max. The second book in this two-parter will tell Maxwell's story. I recommend that you read these in order.

Union Prisoners and Southern Camps
The Prisoner (1992) Best Novel winner (1993): The Prisoner
The Bride Fair (2002) Best Novel winner (2003): The Bride Fair

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