This book was set in Fredericksburg, VA, but the story focused on a single house in town, so it felt as if it were set out in the country. The beginning and end of the book are set in the modern day, with a center section consisting of letters from the Civil War. It seemed like it was going to be a ghost story, but I was pleasantly surprised with the turn the story took. I kept thinking the Civil War characters were going to run into the spymistress from the last Cicil War era book I read. In this moving tale of people whose lives are haunted by the past, Susan Meissner weaves the history of the Civil War around a modern day story of Marielle marrying into a family held hostage by the past and the mansion in which the haunting takes place. While the story begins quite slowly (I was tempted to put it down at first as I was bored) it soon takes hold and you find you can't put the book down. I especially loved the novel within the novel, when we read Susannah's letters and relive the days of the battle at Fredericksburg. This story speaks of the horrors of war, but also of mental illness and how that tears families apart. There is a healing that takes place at the end of the story, and it leaves you feeling uplifted by the resilience of human nature. I am giving this book four stars.
Do You like book A Sound Among The Trees (2011)?
Loved the historical fiction, but I felt like the rest of the book was really pointless.
—Tasha
A good historical novel set in both present day and during the Civil War.
—bindy
I love how Meissner combines the contemporary with the historical.
—sherls
