Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green

★★★★★
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It's April 1861, and the Union Army's Medical Department is a disaster, completely unprepared for the magnitude of war. A small group of New York City women, including 28-year-old Charlotte Waverly, decide to do something about it, and end up changing the course of the war, despite criticism, ridicule and social ostracism. Charlotte leaves a life of privilege, wealth-and confining expectations – to be one of the first female nurses for the Union Army. She quickly discovers that she's fighting more than just the Rebellion by working in the hospitals. Corruption, harassment, and opposition from Northern doctors threaten to push her out of her new role. At the same time, her sweetheart disapproves of her shocking strength and independence, forcing her to make an impossible decision: Will she choose love and marriage, or duty to a cause that seems to be losing? An Irish immigrant named Ruby O'Flannery, who turns to the unthinkable in the face of starvation, holds the secret that will unlock the door to Charlotte's future. But will the rich and poor confide in each other in time?

Wedded to War is a work of fiction, but the story is inspired by the true life of Civil War nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. Woolsey's letters and journals, written over 150 years ago, offer a thorough look of what pioneering nurses endured.

Jocelyn Green's debut novel is endorsed by historians and professors for its historical accuracy and detail, by award-winning novelists for its spell-binding storytelling, and by entertainment journalists and book club leaders for its deep and complex content, perfect to share and discuss with others.

After reading Widow of Gettysburg (the second novel in Jocelyn Green’s Heroines Behind the Lines series) last fall, I knew I had to read Wedded to War, too. Tackling the era of the U.S. Civil War, Green represents the (often overlooked) female role, experience and perspective authentically, hauntingly, vividly in captivating and fascinating storylines. Charlotte Waverly, the admirable and resolute heroine of Wedded to War, serves as one of the first female nurses in the war effort, and the sights she sees and the challenges she encounters are gruesome, tragic and heartbreaking. Knowing that Green based Charlotte’s character on the real-life experiences of Georgeanna Woolsey increased and enhanced the incredible realism of the historically-based, yet fictitious plot. I have read several novels dealing with the Civil War in the past, yet Green still provided me with a new perspective of the infamous and bloody conflict, as well as much insight into the poor medical state of the day. I highly recommend reading Wedded to War (as well as Widow of Gettysburg) for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and I cannot wait to read Yankee in Atlanta, the next in the series, and see what else Jocelyn Green has in store for her readers.

Thanks to Moody Publishers, I received a copy of Wedded to War 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.