December 1, 2014
Novelist Hepinstall (The House of Gentle Men; The Absence of Nectar) worked with her sister Becky, who holds a history degree, to pen a brutal yet stunning novel about two Southern sisters who decide to fight in the Civil War. Headstrong Libby, determined to avenge her husband's death, dons his clothes and joins the Stonewall Brigade; introspective Josephine follows suit out of loyalty and a need to protect her sister. As the war rages on, Libby is still haunted by her husband's spirit while Josephine falls in love for the first time, with a fellow soldier. The Hepinstalls highlight the sisters' fear and bravery in battle and their frustration over having to live constantly in disguise. VERDICT Similar to Laird Hunt's Neverhome in content and theme, this novel differs in its use of the omniscient perspective (as opposed to the first-person narration in Hunt's book), as well as in its love story that acts as a perfect foil to the gritty realities of war. Fans of Civil War-era historical fiction will find this exciting page-turner thoroughly engaging.--Mariel Pachucki, Maple Valley, WA
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