Civil War-era novels never seem to fall out of favor. The American public is fascinated by stories from that time period, the details of bloody battles and cruelties of slavery drawing people’s attention. But why? Is it just because we’re intrigued by the violent and grotesque? Does it make us feel better about where we are now, how far we’ve come? No, I think it’s more than that.
The Civil War tore apart more than just the nation — it tore apart families and communities. It stripped down individuals to their bare beliefs, and made people question not only their neighbor but themselves as well. Those on both sides, soldiers and civilians alike, found themselves asking — who am I and where do I belong in this mess?
Let’s not forget though that the enslaved masses had faced these same struggles and questions long before the first cannons rang out. We often think of the soldiers fighting on the frontline — those who “fought and died for their beliefs” — but forget those whose very lives hung in the balance, whose fate would be determined by the wars outcome but often lacked the power to take action.
It was a war with many fronts, with many complex layers, clashing perspectives and silenced voices. In an attempt to further our understanding, we gathered a collection of riveting historical fiction from a diverse range of voices.
March by Geraldine Brooks
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, March dives deeper into the life of the absentee father from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
As the North faces a series of relentless blows and defeats, March leaves his family behind to join the Union cause as a chaplain. March, an idealistic abolitionist, faces a brutal war which tests his faith not only in the Union — which he sees is capable of barbaric and racist acts — but also in himself. What he experiences within the moral complexities of war will radically change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs.
But March is more than a story of war; it’s an exploration of stubborn courage and transcendent love. March must find a way to reassemble his shattered mind and reconnect with his family after experiencing one of the most turbulent wars in US history.
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and used as the basis for director Ronald Maxwell’s 1993 movie, this gripping novel recounts one of the war’s deadliest and most pivotal battles: Gettysburg.
The novel follows four main characters over the course of the four-day battle, with a variety of side characters filling in the margins. Through the eyes of historical figures on both sides, Shaara reveals important insight into the two opposing sides and their conflicting dreams. While the novel explains in great detail the wartime strategies and tactics, Shaara brings forth another layer to deepen our understanding of the men. There is drama and emotion interwoven with the historically accurate.
Known to some as the gold standard for Civil War retellings, The Killer Angels unearths a before unexplored emotional depth to one of the most highly researched and discussed battles of the war. For those that know their American history, the events and outcome of the battle may come as no surprise. But far more than men fell on that battlefield: futures were shattered, innocence was thrown aside and beauty was trampled into the mud.
Battlegrounds by Stephen A. Carter
The first installment of a series that will change the way readers think of the months leading up to the US Civil War. Through the eyes of Marcus Brown, an escaped slave and loyal Maasai warrior, readers journey across turbulent seas, through twisting, hidden passageways, and over the bloody historic battlefield of the siege of Fort Sumter.
The story begins at the end of a three-year sea voyage when Marcus Brown and John Saxton, a young white sailor from a wealthy family, witness a scene so horrifying and inhumane that one of them falls temporarily into a coma. This evil act sets the precedent for what the villains of this particular tale are capable of inflicting on humanity. Marcus Brown then finds himself embroiled in a treasonous plan and must decide if he can trust any of the white men from the North — who claim to support an end to slavery but have vast fortunes riding on the sustained economy of the Confederate states.
This tale of murder, dark secrets and political intrigue will certainly keep readers on the edge of their seat. (Read the BookTrib review here.)
An Extraordinary Union: An Epic Love Story of the Civil War by Alyssa Cole
From a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author comes a story of wartime espionage and forbidden love. The first in the Loyal League series, the novel follows Elle Burns, a former slave with a passion for justice, and Malcolm McCall, a white detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service.
Elle is a righteously outraged woman who’s been continuously cast aside, even among her fellow Union spies. Trading her freedom to return to the indignity of slavery as a spy, Elle joins forces with Malcolm on a mission to uncover dark secrets and plots meant to turn the tide of the war in favor of the Confederacy. Their ensuing love story is rife with conflict and danger, from the boundaries of race to the demands of wartime sacrifice.
This adventurous historical romance sets its characters on a grand stage amidst the Civil War; it’s not just their hearts at stake, but the fate of the country.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Since its original publication in 1936, Gone with the Wind — winner of the Pulitzer Prize and often remembered for its epic film version — has been heralded by readers everywhere as The Great American Novel.
The novel follows Scarlett O’Hara, the beautiful yet spoiled and manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. Scarlett lives a carefree life where marriage is her only concern; but her life is forever changed with the dawn of the Civil War. With her way of life uprooted, Scarlett is plunged into poverty, and she must use every means at her disposal to claw her way out. Meanwhile, the dashing adventurer Rhett Butler continuously infuriates Scarlett while also igniting her passion.
Gone with the Wind is an epic tale of love and loss, rage and courage. Sporting a cynical hero and a ruthless heroine against the bold backdrop of the Civil War, this book explores the depths of human passion, enthralling readers for over seventy years. It’s certainly a story you won’t soon forget.
Across the River by Richard Snodgrass
This lush and languid historical spy novel is the fourth in the Books of Furnass series. A wonderfully transportive read, it unravels the complexities of a war that tore apart families and tested the loyalty of loved ones.
One night, two Confederate soldiers disguised as Union officers arrive at the doorstep of Colin Lyle and his Southern-born wife, Libby. Captain Judson Walker and engineer Jonathan Reid are on a covert mission to gain access to the engines, outfit them with the newly developed Gatling guns and deliver the finished products to the Confederate army generals.
Walker and Reid butt heads as their clashing personalities interfere with their shared ideology. Complicating matters further is the sudden and mutual attraction between Libby and Walker. With the country split in two, Libby finds herself a woman without a country; her only allegiance is to her own agency. And as the novel reaches its climax, Walker must decide if his loyalties lie with Libby or his duties toward his men and the war. (Read the BookTrib review here.)
Faith on Fire: Thy Will Be Done by Deborah Curtin
This intriguing historical novel, in which the protagonist is modeled after the author’s great grandfather, follows Robert, the protagonist and eldest sibling in the Wait family. Robert always strives to do the right thing, and so spearheads an “escape plan” to bring his youngest sibling, Charles, home from The Eagle’s Nest. While Charles may have escaped his confinement, Robert must now escape his privileged life at Harvard.
After finding his way to his Uncle John, Robert is given a second chance at redemption and becomes part of his uncle’s crew. But soon after, Robert and five others are captured by the gray coats and find themselves in a “parole” camp for months awaiting exchange for their own prisoners. Robert must break free of the prison and reconnect with his family. What will Robert find when he returns to his homestead? And can he learn the truth about his father and The Eagle’s Nest?
Laced with spies, secret messages, gritty players and split loyalties, Faith on Fire is a captivating depiction of a family and the consequences of war. (Read the BookTrib review here.)
My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
This New York Times bestseller follows a courageous and ambitious young woman who dreams of becoming a surgeon during a time when such a role was unthinkable for women.
Mary Sutter, a brilliant midwife nursing a broken heart, travels to Washington DC to help tend to the wounded during the Civil War. Under the tutelage of two gifted surgeons, Mary doesn’t let anything stop her from moving forward with her medical career. Despite the familial hardships which beckon her home — such as her mother’s pleas to return home to help with her twin sister’s difficult birth — Mary persists in pursuing her dream. Meanwhile, the two surgeons fall unwittingly in love with Mary, but she pines for another.
In this riveting novel of love, loss, family and sacrifice, readers will find themselves rooting for the tenacious and headstrong heroine.
