"Zeke was not surprised to see many of the soldiers out of uniform. Some of these men have been conscripted for only ninety days, and the Confederates would not spend money on uniforms for such a short period."
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The Ghosts of Furnace Mountain by Louise Taylor-Streu Trafford Publishing
book review by Caroline Blaha-Black
Zeke Taylor, a young Virginia farmer, is risking his life getting close to the Confederate Army camp while looking for his brother who's one of the soldiers. The Taylors and their land are caught in the middle of the Civil War, and the some of the fighting takes place near the Taylor's homestead, near the Potomac River. The war is threatening their way of living, the animals, which they depend on, and their safety. The Taylor family opposes slavery, even though they live in a pro-slave state. Their two sons, Isaac and Joshua, got conscripted to the war, and the Taylors fear the worst. When the soldiers come to take over their barn to convert it to the hospital and the above mountain is turned to the munitions factory to make weapons for the army, the Taylors despair, since they are just farmers and take no sides in the war itself.
The author shows she knows her subject well. The words flow well on the page, the pacing is fast, and the plot keeps the reader interested and turn pages to find out what will happen next. The protagonists, the Taylor family members, are fleshed out well, and the reader can identify with their struggles to survive. The cover features cannons that were used during the war, and the sufficient background is also provided to give the reader insight into Lincoln's politics. This is a great book for lovers of American history and the Civil War.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review