Hello Bookworms!
About the Book
Introducing a series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic American disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.
The Civil War has taken everything from Lily Livingston—her parents, her twin brother, her home. Now she works at her uncle’s inn and keeps her head down. Speaking up for her beliefs proved too costly in a part of Arkansas split by conflicting loyalties and overrun by spies and bushwhackers.
Emaciated in body but resilient in spirit, Lieutenant Cade Palmer is crowded onto the Sultana with other paroled Andersonville and Cahaba POWs for the journey north. But a fiery explosion on April 27, 1865, rends the steamer and empties two thousand men into the frigid Mississippi River.
Recovering from wounds that might end his career as a surgeon but clinging to his faith, Cade threatens both Lily’s defenses and her heart. How can she tell him she might’ve prevented the tragedy if only she’d reported a suspected saboteur’s claims? And when the man returns to town and encoded messages pass through the hotel, will Lily follow her convictions to prevent another tragedy?
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My Review
Just when one war ends another begins, and this war is more personal than either Cade or Lily could possibly imagine. A steamboat explosion sends thousands of newly released Union POWs into the Mississippi River just as the country is trying to pick up the pieces from the devastation of the Civil War, mixing Union soldiers with Confederates and their sympathizers, no one knowing who to trust or where loyalties lie.
Told in vivid detail, it’s clear this text was a labor of love, and I am so grateful that the author was finally able to tell her Civil War-era story. The story is so beautifully told and gave light to an otherwise unknown moment in history while also telling a story of a prodigal son’s return to his Father and a girl finding her home. I loved all of the tender moments when Cade and Lily were getting to know one another, and Lily was tending Cade’s wounds while God was bringing him to the end of himself was such a beautiful picture of grace. This a very character-driven novel with soul-touching individuals like Lily and Cade, and others that truly made me skin crawl and my blood boil, which is a testament to the author’s talent.
While I was reading I found myself pondering how all of this could’ve occurred and wondering why I’ve never once heard about this sad tragedy. Granted, it happened at an incredibly tumultuous time in our country’s history, especially with so many lives lost in such a short amount of time, but that doesn’t make it any less tragic. This is truly an unimaginable event and it’s a moment in time that deserves to be remembered.
About the Author
Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance and romantic suspense set in her home state of Georgia. She’s authored eleven published novels and a number of novellas. As a managing editor at Smitten Historical Romance and Heritage Beacon Fiction, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, she also helps others reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.
Connect with Denise by visiting deniseweimerbooks.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to her newsletter.
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