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| ★★★★★ Goodreads | Amazon |
An
extraordinary novel about a strong-willed woman who disguises herself as a man
in order to fight beside her husband in the Civil War, inspired by a real
female soldier's letters home.
Rosetta doesn't want her new husband Jeremiah to enlist, but he joins up, hoping to make enough money that they'll be able to afford their own farm someday. Though she's always worked by her father’s side as the son he never had, now that Rosetta is a wife she's told her place is inside with the other women. But Rosetta decides her true place is with Jeremiah, no matter what that means, and to be with him she cuts off her hair, hems an old pair of his pants, and signs up as a Union soldier.
Rosetta drills with the men, prepares herself for battle, and faces the tension as her husband comes to grips with having a fighting wife. Fearing discovery of her secret, Rosetta’s strong will clashes with Jeremiah’s as their marriage is tested by war. Inspired by over two hundred and fifty documented accounts of the women who fought in the Civil War while disguised as men, I Shall Be Near to You is the intimate story, in Rosetta’s powerful and gorgeous voice, of the drama of marriage, one woman’s amazing exploits, and the tender love story that can unfold when two partners face life’s challenges side by side.
Rosetta doesn't want her new husband Jeremiah to enlist, but he joins up, hoping to make enough money that they'll be able to afford their own farm someday. Though she's always worked by her father’s side as the son he never had, now that Rosetta is a wife she's told her place is inside with the other women. But Rosetta decides her true place is with Jeremiah, no matter what that means, and to be with him she cuts off her hair, hems an old pair of his pants, and signs up as a Union soldier.
Rosetta drills with the men, prepares herself for battle, and faces the tension as her husband comes to grips with having a fighting wife. Fearing discovery of her secret, Rosetta’s strong will clashes with Jeremiah’s as their marriage is tested by war. Inspired by over two hundred and fifty documented accounts of the women who fought in the Civil War while disguised as men, I Shall Be Near to You is the intimate story, in Rosetta’s powerful and gorgeous voice, of the drama of marriage, one woman’s amazing exploits, and the tender love story that can unfold when two partners face life’s challenges side by side.
I Shall Be Near to You
is a stunning debut novel from Erin Lindsay McCabe – a beautiful and
poignant story of relationship, set against the gritty reality of war. Inspired
by the Civil War accounts of women fighting disguised as men, McCabe brings to
life the hardships such women faced through her brilliant central character,
Rosetta Wakefield.
A simple country girl with aspirations only to spend her
days farming alongside the man she loves, Rosetta finds herself following her
new husband to war – not for glory or pride or honor, but simply to be at his
side. To stay together, she and her husband must resolutely face the looming
danger threatening to break them apart, but for Rosetta, any shared time is
worth the risk. In the face of this adversity, their budding marriage shows
tender and endearing, and Rosetta impressively proves to be a stubborn, witty
and capable woman, while retaining vulnerability and dependence. A believable
and fascinatingly real narrator, Rosetta has a highly compelling voice and
creates a narrative transportive, captivating and emotional.
I deeply enjoyed I
Shall Be Near to You and would certainly recommend it. I cannot imagine
other fans of historical fiction will be disappointed.
Thanks to Blogging for Books, I received a copy
of I Shall Be Near to You and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are
my own.
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