Civil War Fiction

2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  Is this a period of time that you'd like to learn more about?  Maybe you've attended one of the many events in your community commemorating the anniversary, or maybe you've been brushing up on your history by doing some reading.  Don't forget that there's lots of fiction that captures this historical era.  If you like historical fiction set in this period of time, you may want to try one of the following titles:

March by Geraldine Brooks. Inspired by the father in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, this novel depicts the experiences of a man who leaves behind his family to serve in the Civil War and how he is challenged during the war.

The March by E.L. Doctorow.  The story of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's devastating march through Georgia and the Carolinas during the final years of the Civil War and the impact this journey had on the outcome of the war.

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks.   A story based on the true experiences of a Civil War heroine finds Carrie McGavock witnessing the bloodshed of the Battle of Franklin, falling in love with a wounded man, and dedicating her home as a burial site for fallen soldiers.

Savannah, or, a Gift for Mr. Lincoln by John Jakes.  Jakes, a popular and prolific writer of Civil War fiction, recreates the spirit of the times as he tells a story of Sherman's army marching from Atlanta to the sea in 1864.  The city of Savannah lies directly in its path, threatening the livelihood of widow Sara Lester and her twelve-year-old daughter Hattie, who struggle to save the family plantation.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.  In this gripping novel about the four days during the battle at Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet tell the Southern view of the battle while Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and General John Buford present the Northern view.