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tracyheiser's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
whodatro's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ola_aleece's review against another edition
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Starting with the positives: The characters were described with such vivid imagery that I truly did fall in love with them! Plus, the author(s) clearly researched everything very thoroughly!
Now for the cons…as much as I wanted to love this based on the premise & cover, it just wasn’t a winner for me. I’ve read several Civil War romance/fiction novels and this one feels like it took some of the most overused tropes of the genre and tried to add the smallest bit of spin to it.
In terms of plot it could’ve been so much better but there was no real action until the last quarter of the book, then it just all magically was resolved.
Last critique is that 75 chapters for 382 pages isn’t great. Each chapter was only 2-5 pages long which, at times, made the book seem disjointed.
If you got thus far and agree, I highly recommend the Refiner’s Fire series by Lynn Austin. It is Christian fiction, but is a great example of what great CW fiction can be.
Now for the cons…as much as I wanted to love this based on the premise & cover, it just wasn’t a winner for me. I’ve read several Civil War romance/fiction novels and this one feels like it took some of the most overused tropes of the genre and tried to add the smallest bit of spin to it.
In terms of plot it could’ve been so much better but there was no real action until the last quarter of the book, then it just all magically was resolved.
Last critique is that 75 chapters for 382 pages isn’t great. Each chapter was only 2-5 pages long which, at times, made the book seem disjointed.
If you got thus far and agree, I highly recommend the Refiner’s Fire series by Lynn Austin. It is Christian fiction, but is a great example of what great CW fiction can be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
chattybookworm's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
librarylynn's review
3.5
Historical inaccuracies irritate me. Jacob and William would have been deserters.
msanticola's review
4.0
4.5 stars. Really really loved this novel. It’s gut wrenching at times but tells an important story. You’ll fall in love with the friendships and characters in this novel.
jessbooks4's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this unique historical fiction story of two women and the two men they loved during the Civil War. It's a well-written collaborative effort and based loosely on the two authors' family histories.
thebookedcookie's review
5.0
This was such a heartbreaking read, but also, a book that is so important. The authors captured so much of the tragedy of both slavery and the civil war.
I loved that it was from both a black and Jewish perspective. This added depth to the story and allowed realistic friendships to develop. Even through the difficult events that occurred, the friendships created were beautiful and what gave this story hope. While there were many different types friendships shown, it was really the friendship between William and Jacob that became the highlight of this book for me.
I enjoyed seeing how each of the main characters were able to use their talents, music and sewing, to bring goodness to a harsh and cruel situation.
This book did not shy away from the cruelty and ugliness of this time period. It was beautiful and heart wrenching, and ultimately hopeful.
I loved that it was from both a black and Jewish perspective. This added depth to the story and allowed realistic friendships to develop. Even through the difficult events that occurred, the friendships created were beautiful and what gave this story hope. While there were many different types friendships shown, it was really the friendship between William and Jacob that became the highlight of this book for me.
I enjoyed seeing how each of the main characters were able to use their talents, music and sewing, to bring goodness to a harsh and cruel situation.
This book did not shy away from the cruelty and ugliness of this time period. It was beautiful and heart wrenching, and ultimately hopeful.
zikeyag's review
3.0
This was a very slow read for me. I guess because I was comparing it to other historical fiction novels I’ve experienced. This read was very informative of what occurred during the Civil War, which led to Juneteenth. I didn’t really know all the details of how the official holiday came about and this provided some background and encouraged me to do my own research. Some parts were devastating at times where my heart broke for the soldiers that were involved, but it broke even more when a child that was enlisted was killed. It was disappointing to read that even though the Union side was fighting for the slaves to be freed, they still treated them as less than. The war was mainly about politics/economics. The abolitionist like Lily were the main individuals who cared about black people being free and being offered equal opportunities. At least that’s how I’m portraying the research I found. Overall, the book was a 3.5 it wasn’t a lot of action and a semi-happy ending. It kept me engaged for the most part.