When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam. Her mother's mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt's message to its greatest test but can betrayal be forgiven?
My review:
This was a sweet love story set during the Civil War. I tend to be a sucker for war love stories. This one had a bit more gore than a like to read about, though. I have a weak stomach. All the stuff about stench and lice was realistic I'm sure, but...ew. But I did like the way the characters interacted. I appreciated how loyal people were when they had seen sacrifice for people on the either side of the war. Poor Joe was sick for what seemed like forever. I thought it was sweet how he helped Beth heal by believing in her. She had rejection issues, and because of an injury when she was younger, the man she was in love with as a youth no longer wanted her. Joe saw beauty in her that made his former southern belle seem selfish and petty. It had the typical "wounded soldier from the other side of the war falls in love with the woman caring for him while he's feverish and at death's door" theme, so there were no surprises. One of them had to be angry with God and the other encouraged them to let go of the hurt. I didn't see how the quilt played a part in her emotional healing. I must have missed the connection. The story was pretty good, just not amazing.
Now for the question.... (Yes, it was a bloody, sad time in our nation's history, but it reaped some long-lasting results.) What was the most important result of the Civil War, in your opinion?
A winner will be selected next weekend using "the Hat" randomizer program.
5 comments:
It ended slavery. Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com
The end of slavery
rdunson(at)knology(dot)net
It ended slavery. Thanks for the giveaway!
pj4824(at)yahoo(dot)com
Im not entering but have to say I enjoyed this story too. I was in America about to do a historical highlights tour which actually went to Harpers Ferry. Its hard to say what the most important result was but with the end of slavery it brought new opportunities to the south. Before the North has most of the industrial factories etc and the south was more crops but few factories. With the end of slavery and the rebuilding of the south there were new opportunities.
And the winner is...
Deborah D!
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