Marsha Ward is a
new to me author, having only read one of her short stories prior to this book,
and I was happy to be asked to read and review this Civil War novel as my
reading has focused on this era a lot lately. Based on a wonderful monolog by a
docent on a recent visit to the Lotz House in Franklin, Tennessee, I believe
Marsha Ward did a marvelous job of capturing the horrors of the sights, sounds,
smells and privations of the Civil War. I must admit, while not at all
inappropriate in her word choice, the intensity and frequency with which Ward
dealt with the desires of young, unmarried men was a bit over the top.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy and would recommend the book with that caveat.
The Owen family
is blessed with both strong maternal and paternal characters, and a wealth of
love within the family. Julia and Roderick Owen of Shenandoah County, Virginia
have nine offspring, ages eight to twenty as the story begins. Father and five
sons will serve on the side of the Confederacy during the war; not all are
destined to return. Rather than focusing on the issues for which they fought,
Ward concentrates on the toll military service in the Civil War took on
relationships, on those on the front lines, on those left behind, and on the
communities devastated by the invading troops.
I thank Marsha Ward
for providing me a copy of Gone for a
Soldier in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary
compensation. I do look forward to reading her novella, That Tender Light, which tells the story of how Rod and Julia met.
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