"Fallen Land" by Taylor Brown (Historical Fiction)

Fallen Land by Taylor Brown takes place in the final year of the Civil War.  Ava and Callum are on the run because a band of marauders are after a bounty that is on Callum, a seasoned horse thief from Ireland.  Reiver, thier horse, must carry Ava and Callum to safety.

I enjoyed this book and its two main characters very much.  It is like a western which I haven't read in a long time so a nice change of pace for me.  This is the author's first book!  This is the second time I've read this one--I liked it when I read it in 2016 too.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 24:  The boy staggered along behind, finding his legs.  He was still disoriented, his boots tripping along the ground.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Beyond Their Years--Stories of Sixteen Civil War Children" by Scotti Cohn

Beyond Their Years by Scotti Cohn is historical non-fiction. This is a collection of stories from 16 people who, during their childhood, the civil war was ongoing. They look back and tell how they dealt with it. This is a wide range of stories from men and women. Some from the north and some from the south. For the most part, they were interesting with some better than others. If you enjoy reading about history, this is the book for you!
(Gerard’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 55:  Before the end of February, the blue-eyed, sandy-haired "little snotty boy" wore a dark blue uniform and carried a gun.  One of the other soldiers, a big husky fellow called "Curly," was not impressed with the newly created "Private Stockwell."

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen" by Sarah Bird

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen by Sarah Bird tells the fiction story of Cathy Williams.  Born into bondage, her mother never let Cathy believe she was just a slave.  One day the Union army took her and made her be a cook's helper.  At the war's end, she made a decision that would change her life forever!


This book kept me engaged from page 1.  There is good action and the book had good flow to it.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 11:  Terrill leaped forward, grabbed me roughly, and promised, "I shall personally ensure that he is delivered to headquarters, sir."  Then he shoved me in the direction of a bunch of soldiers, yet still I would not turn loose of Mama.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Fallen Land" by Taylor Brown

Fallen Land by Taylor Brown takes place during the last year of the Civil War.  Due to the war, a young boy, Callum, and a young girl, Ava, band together with a horse named Reiver.  Bounty hunters are after Callum and will stop at nothing to find him. 

I enjoyed the relationship between Callum and Ava, two great characters.  The horse was awesome!  This book has action and a great ending!   My wife thought it started off too slow and gave up on it early on, but I liked it!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Coal Black Horse" by Robert Olmstead

Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead is about a young boy whose mom sends him on a journey to bring home his father.  Where is his dad?  He is off fighting the Civil War!  Does he find him?  Does he and his dad survive?  Where does the horse come in?  To find out the answers to these questions, you will have to read the book!  I liked it.  the writing was very descriptive and well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Long Way Home" by Lauraine Snelling (last of series)

The Long Way Home by Lauraine Snelling is the third book of “A Secret Refuge” series that kept my attention all the way with excitement and adventure including family drama, traveling with a wagon train, a bear attack, imprisonment, weddings, Indians and establishing a new home.  Although this is Christian fiction, it is not a predictable ending where all the loose ends get tied up.  It is a family saga that emphasizes all are created equal regardless of geographic location or skin color.  This takes place near the end of the Civil War and covers the effect the war had on both the lives of the south, the north and even the west.   

I enjoyed this entire series of light reading and was happy with the ending.  I liked that not all the slaves were mistreated.  My favorite characters in this series were Jesselynn, Thaddeus (her little brother), Meshack (a very smart, strong, Christian former slave) and Wolf (a half breed wagon master).   I highly recommend this series if you enjoy reading about the Civil War era or enjoy Christian fiction that has some depth to it..

 

This is the 8^th book I’ve read this year about the 1800’s during the Civil War era and I would rank it second to Michael Phillips’ Shenandoah Sisters series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Sisters of the Confederacy" by Lauraine Snelling (A Secret Refuge Series)

This is the back cover (the front has a big library label on it)

Sisters of the Confederacy is the second book in the Secret Refuge series by Lauraine Snelling.  It is about God's protection of three sisters during the Civil War who each have different lives--one married and well off, Louisa living with her aunt in Virginia trying to save wounded soldiers, including her brother, and Jesselynn on her way to Oregon with her horses, her little brother, and her freed slaves to start over.  Jesse and her troop join up with a wagon train and her secret is discovered when she is thrown from her horse into a creek and getting all wet.  Jesse questions God about the war and why little children die but mean men get to live.  Both sisters are brave and feisty. 

I enjoyed this book because Jesselynn is such a strong woman and feels responsible for those traveling with her.  Sometimes she feels overwhelmed, especially when Daniel finds himself in jail and is about to be hanged for something he didn't do.  The horse race was exciting too and loved how she handled it.  I really liked the story line about Jesselynn, but the one about Louisa, not so much.  I look forward to reading the last one in this series.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Daughter of Twin Oaks" by Lauraine Snelling

 Daughter of Twin Oaks by Lauraine Snelling is the first book in her Secret Refuge Series that I enjoyed.  It is at the time of the Civil War and Jesselynn is the daughter left to run the family's tobacco plantation called Twin Oaks.  Her brother is off at war, her parents are both dead and her two sisters are living with an Aunt in Virginia.  Twin Oakes is in Kentucky and she is trying to keep her few horses from being taken for use in the war.  After giving all her slaves their freedom, they decide to stay and keep working at Twin Oaks anyhow.  She proceeds to take the horses to her Uncle's farm in Missouri until the war is over, thinking they will be safe there.  She takes a few of her former slaves along, a wagon, a mule and her little brother Thaddeus.  Dressing like man, she and her group start their trek, trying to keep from soldiers seeing them along the way.  The other story line was about Jesselynn's sister in Virginia who volunteered at the wounded soldiers hospital.  The faith of the daughters is challenged by all the bad things that happen.

This book is full of action and adventure.  I was beginning to wonder if they ever would make it.  It is a quick read and left me wanting more.  Interesting characters and it made me more aware of the obstacles families in the south had to deal with during the Civil War.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)     

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Last of the Blue and Gray--Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived The Civil War" by Richard A. Serrano

Last of the Blue and Gray--Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived The Civil War by Richard A. Serrano is a fascinating look at the lives of some of the men who fought in the Civil War.  Most of these men lived to be over 100 years old--wow!  This book centers on one man who said he fought in the war but he really didn't.  I enjoyed hearing these stories!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Together Is All We Need" by Michael Phillips (Book 4 of Shenandoah Sisters series)

Together Is All We Need by Michael Phillips is a wonderful book about friendship and family sticking together and sacrificing to help each other out.  This is a very enjoyable coming of age series with a marvelous ending.  Kathleen and Mayme not only became friends and together worked to save Kathleen's plantation and made it productive again after the Civil War, but also built a very unusual household with both blacks and whites living together under the same roof in harmony.  The girls also learn from a good friend, Henry, how to trust the good Lord. 

I highly recommend you read the first three books of this series before this last one to fully appreciate it.  I absolutely LOVED this historical Christian fiction series and zipped through all four books.  They were enlightening, giving insight into how things were after the civil war for both whites and blacks and how even though the slaves were set free, they were still looked down upon by most.  This series shows how much people can accomplish when they work together unselfishly.  I look forward to reading more books by this author.
(Karen's review, 5++ stars)

The first three books in this series are:
Angels Watching Over Me
A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton
The Color of Your Skin Ain't The Color of Your Heart

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Angels Watching Over Me" by Michael Phillips

image source:  Amazon

Angels Watching Over Me by Michael Phillips is about two teen girls whose families both got killed after the Civil War. Katie is a daughter of a white plantation owner and Mayme is a black slave girl who grew up on a different plantation. Shortly after the death of their families, the two girls actually become friends and help each other. Although they have different backgrounds and different talents, they work together to protect each other, and run the plantation on their own. Mayme is practical and Katie a dreamer, but both girls open their hearts up to God and seek His direction when they find themselves in a desperate situation.

I loved this historical fiction book and look forward to the next in this Shenandoah Sisters series. It was a good page turner with likable characters and action too! The story is told from the slave girl’s point of view for the most part. I am so glad I finally found this author and can't wait to read more by him!

This is currently free for Kindle on Amazon--hurry!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!