Beth Harlow ∞CrossLink Publishing ∞72 pp. ∞Historical
Fiction
About
the Book:
A
young Confederate soldier is given a journal as he departs for war in 1861. The
little book soon falls into the hands of another and another and another. The
journal travels all through the war, crossing battle lines several times and
presenting thoughts from both sides of the war.
Each
soldier who writes in the journal is in a different situation and each is in a
different place in his relationship with God. The words that others have
written in the journal have an effect on those who acquire possession of the
book later, and the journal becomes quite important to each soldier.
My
Review:
This
book did a wonderful job of really capturing the souls of the writers and
drawing out the ordeal of the war and the effect it had on each person’s mind,
body and spirituality. I enjoyed getting to have snapshots into each of
the new soldier’s lives. To read the two sides of the story and view points and
watch the growth that occurred in some of the soldiers due to what they
witnessed and lived through during the Civil War.
Since
we had already studied the Civil War we decided to read this book together as a
family. My kids really loved the way the different soldiers would comment on
previous soldier’s entries and really got the feel of how each side felt about
the war. The sacrifices they were making and the different relationships they
had with God.
The
only thing I really issue or dislike about the book was how unclear it was when
the new person started writing in the journal. The author did always do a great
job in differentiating between new journal writers in a clear and concise way,
which kept me wondering who was writing.
I
would recommend this book to those who are war enthusiast or to those who love
to take glimpses into the lives of others. Wonderfully wrote and very engaging.
About
the Author:
A native Texan, Beth
Harlow and her husband, Gale, live in Franklin, Tennessee, where one of the
bloodiest battles of the Civil War was fought. They have three children and are
members of Brentwood Church of Christ in Brentwood, Tennessee. Beth spends as
much time as she can with her four grandchildren–Claudia, Lukas, Zachary, and
Tegan–and spends the rest of her time painting, gardening, reading, and
writing. The Journal is her first novel.
Disclaimer:
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book
review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive,
review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in
accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides
Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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