I loved this story about Civil War nursing! Charlotte Waverly is a rich 28-year-old woman who decides to follow her heart and become "useful" when the Civil War breaks out. In the process, she discovers who she really is and what is important to her. Her faith in God is strengthened as she helps the wounded soldiers and the nurses and doctors serving with her.This novel is well-written. The characters are realistic and likeable, struggling with real-life choices. Jocelyn Green put an amazing amount of research into this story, but it never seems pedantic. Her attention to detail makes the reader feel like he/she is in the setting, complete with sights, sounds, and smells.My only complaint is that the copy editor seemed to fall asleep halfway through the book. On one page (p. 177), an entire sentence is repeated. The date references at the beginnings of chapters or sub-chapters are frequently wrong (August 2, 1861, is referred to both as Friday and Saturday, just one example of this). Many times the wrong word or verb tense is used. These little flaws are annoying but didn't affect my overall impression of the book. This was surprisingly good. It's hard to find strong, yet flawed female characters in Christian literature, and maybe because Charlotte was based on an actual person, having a "real" personality was easier. The societal and moral struggles as shown through Ruby's story was quite real and well portrayed. Not as heavy handed as cookie cutter "church books" which was refreshing. In the author's note, she mentioned the inspiration for the character of Charlotte and her husband didn't have children, but no one knew why. In this story, Charlotte was physically unable to. No one seems to consider the fact they just didn't want to, which may have been counter-cultural at that time, but just as valid a choice. Perhaps due to their line of work, the couple felt their calling of helping those sick and wounded superseded the "calling" for children. Just my musings though; the author's decision to make Charlotte barren does not make the story less in my opinion.
What do You think about Wedded To War (2012)?
I loved it. This Christian novel was heavy on plot and research, and the romance was light.
—Shariel
