Lizzie Clouston is
the governess at Carnton mansion in Franklin Tennessee. It’s been a
lovely day. Lizzie and the children have enjoyed the mild weather,
but that rapidly changes that night, November 30, 1864. The Federal
army meets the Confederates in a pitched battle.
Carnton mansion is
the only available place to bring the wounded. Lizzie is pressed into
service as Dr. Phillips tends the wounded, often having to amputate a
limb. Captain Roland Jones, a decorated Mississippi sharpshooter, is wounded in the leg and hand. He begs Lizzie to keep the doctor
from taking his leg. Lizzie agrees to do her best and during his
recovery, a romance blossoms in spite of her being promised to
another, her lifelong friend Towny, who she likes but doesn’t love.
This is an
excellent, well-researched historical account of the battle of
Franklin, Tennessee. The author used the resources of the historical
Carnton mansion and the letters between Roland and Lizzie to create
an authentic account of the battle and the feelings of people at that
time. I loved the characters, the children were particularly
delightful and the setting was perfectly described to provide a
background for the story.
I was pleased that
the author presented the characters realistically. They are
Southerners, but they had divergent views on slavery and the
Confederacy. It’s refreshing to read a novel that isn’t a
polemic. I highly recommend it.
I received this book
from BookLook Bloggers for this review.
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