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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This book had me absolutely spellbound. It's the fastest I've picked up and ready any book since Park Yeonmi's "In Order To Live". I don't think I can really accurately describe what it was that had me reading this book with such rapt attention- maybe it was a combination of the setting, the characters, and the plot that fell together so well for me. I even had a sticky note with page numbers written down for parts that really struck me that I lost, but there were some eloquently written and striking parts of this novel.
There were a few parts where passages tended to wind on and I had to go back and reread a few things several times and the jumps between various Points of View- the residents at Carnton be they Carrie, John, or Mariah, and then Zachariah- could sometimes be a little disorienting for me.
But Carrie and Zachariah in their own ways learning to want to live again even on the precipice of death, in the absence of life, was something that kept me coming back.
But overall I believe that Mr. Hicks did a fascinating job at retelling a fictional account of a dedicated, compassionate woman whose life changed forever in those hours at the Battle of Franklin. I think the overall message of the book was perfectly described in this passage from page 396;
"The violence would not end, but I still had my role to play. Someone had to do it, to be that person. I was the woman they wrote the letters to; this house was the last address of the war. Now it was the final resting place of the dead, or at least almost 1,500 of them, and they could not be left alone. I had resolved to be the designated mourner, to be the woman who would remember so others could forget. In the forgetting, I prayed, would be some relief, some respite from the violence and bitterness and vengeance."
There were a few parts where passages tended to wind on and I had to go back and reread a few things several times and the jumps between various Points of View- the residents at Carnton be they Carrie, John, or Mariah, and then Zachariah- could sometimes be a little disorienting for me.
But Carrie and Zachariah in their own ways learning to want to live again even on the precipice of death, in the absence of life, was something that kept me coming back.
But overall I believe that Mr. Hicks did a fascinating job at retelling a fictional account of a dedicated, compassionate woman whose life changed forever in those hours at the Battle of Franklin. I think the overall message of the book was perfectly described in this passage from page 396;
"The violence would not end, but I still had my role to play. Someone had to do it, to be that person. I was the woman they wrote the letters to; this house was the last address of the war. Now it was the final resting place of the dead, or at least almost 1,500 of them, and they could not be left alone. I had resolved to be the designated mourner, to be the woman who would remember so others could forget. In the forgetting, I prayed, would be some relief, some respite from the violence and bitterness and vengeance."
Could not get into the book. Thought that I would try this genre but it was not for me.
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
AB - ENG
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I will be spending 6 weeks in Nashville and I asked an online Historical Fiction book club what book I should read and this was the #1 Choice. I am so glad I read it.
The book is about Carnton plantation in Tennessee (which you can visit) and the extraordinary role that Carrie McGavock played during and after the Civil War's Battle of Franklin.
I normally read non-fiction so my favorite part was learning the story behind the story and how Carrie's amazing work was lost to history for so long. I am thankful that Robert got involved in the preservation of the Carnton Plantation and found and wrote Carrie's story.
I have not had an opportunity to tour Canton or the civil war cemetery here or review these podcasts, but I will: https://boft.org/podcast
The book is about Carnton plantation in Tennessee (which you can visit) and the extraordinary role that Carrie McGavock played during and after the Civil War's Battle of Franklin.
I normally read non-fiction so my favorite part was learning the story behind the story and how Carrie's amazing work was lost to history for so long. I am thankful that Robert got involved in the preservation of the Carnton Plantation and found and wrote Carrie's story.
I have not had an opportunity to tour Canton or the civil war cemetery here or review these podcasts, but I will: https://boft.org/podcast
Picked this up randomly at used book store. It was an interesting read, but not really what I was expecting/hoping it would be. Historical fiction based on a woman whose house is turned into a makeshift hospital after a very bloody battle in the Civil War. The story was told from multiple perspectives, but some were included much too briefly.