Historical Fiction Trilogy book

This novel tells of the struggles endured by these men as they deal with battlefield brutality, rampant diseases, and the inhumane conditions suffered by both armies while their families deal with hardships at home. The reader will be introduced to many historical figures encountered by these two characters as varying attitudes toward slavery are explored. These two men are the eyes, ears, and voices of a story about this war that is nearly too terrible to comprehend and still relevant 160 years later.

Excerpts:
1.    Halbert Paine speaking to his wife in Chapter 1: “I have thought about this a great deal and resigned myself to the sad truth that this will be like all other wars, which, since the beginning of time, have been fought in the name of noble causes, but they’re always really about money.”

2.   Conversation between young men on their way to enlist in the Confederate Army: “See the elephant?” Tim McIntyre growled. “There ain’t no elephants in these here parts.” “No, Tim,” Major Steuben murmured, “that doesn’t mean what you think. He’s asking how soon we’ll see a battle.” “Why in tarnation would he call it that? The Yankees ain’t got no damn elephants.” “It’s a figure of speech—it means how soon will we see our first action. It’s an old saying. My father called it that.” “Why? That don’t make no sense, does it?” The boy seemed indignant and shot an angry glare toward Mr. Frey. “I reckon we’ll face it soon enough.”

3.    Conversation between James and the surgeon who amputated his leg: “I’d like to assure you that the worst is over and you will live, but in truth, I have so little experience with this type of injury that I cannot tell you with any certainty what will happen. However, I can tell you that we will do everything in our power to provide as much care as humanly possible. You have my word as a doctor, an officer, and a gentleman. Do you understand, James?” “Yessir, but I don’t think it would be so awful—dying, I mean.”

The Civil War has raged for twelve months. Colonel Paine leads his troops in the bayous and swampland of Louisiana and finds that the military maneuvers are often poorly conceived and ill-advised. He defies an order from his commanding officer which leads to his arrest and probable court-martial. Solomon becomes his trusted friend and attendant, along with a slave woman, Nettie. She has endured unspeakable cruelty and bitterly rejects Solomon’s affection and his dreams of a better life.

James Hanger has recovered from his amputation and manufacturers artificial limbs for other crippled veterans. Grappling with shortages of supplies and financial hardships, he finds that his naiveté makes him an easy mark for unscrupulous mercenaries which puts his life in peril. James begins to question social norms that have guided him since birth, causing strife between him and his family and friends.

All the while, the piles of bones keep mounting as the war continues with no end in sight.

Annie Winston and her brothers have been surrounded by wealth and prestige all their lives as a part of the upper class, NYC society. But, as their mother says, “They don’t know how to dream.” When she dies, their father seizes upon an opportunity to uproot his family and move them to a farm in the Mississippi Valey near Dubuque, Iowa, a place that is unlike anything they have ever imagined. A mysterious stranger, Sonny, is employed to assist them with this enormous undertaking.

This family saga is written against the backdrop of the global turmoil of the last three years of the Vietnam War in the early 1970’s, causing the family to grapple with conflicting attitudes and ideologies. They live, they work, they love, and they cry while learning the meaning of perseverance and loyalty while gaining a greater understanding of self-worth and decency. Like Annie says, “We have each planted a piece of ourselves in this place and the roots have grown much deeper than any of us expected.”