by
J. Edward
Gore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: YA
Historical fiction
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BLURB:
John Gore is eighteen years old in 1862 rural Kentucky. He has struggled
his entire life with stuttering and the ridicule associated with it. Unable to
speak well, he has focused on writing. Seeing the opportunity for advancement
in the military—and with it, respect—John joins the Union army. Unfortunately,
his stuttering prevents him from warning a friend of an enemy attack and John
watches his friend die. He is racked with guilt and the fear that others saw
him fail at the key moment . . . a fear that proves prescient.
John soon
meets a girl but they must forge a friendship and then courtship through
letters, allowing him to express to her what he can’t say in person. Meanwhile
at home, John’s impetuous younger brother causes trouble with garrisoned Union
troops angry at Southern sympathizers.
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EXCERPT
There’s been some light fighting every day with the
rebels close behind us, and especially once we settled into Knoxville. There
were some rebel sharpshooters who dug a rifle pit just outside our walls and
they were picking off some of our soldiers now and then. A boy would be talking
or looking around and then he’d either scream or just fall back dead. A regiment
with the Second Michigan was ordered to take care of those sharpshooters. Our
men ran out, but they were fired upon, and when they got to the pit they found
more than they’d bargained for. The Johnnies were in the woods waiting for them
and fired without mercy. Less than half of our soldiers came back alive. Now
their sharpshooters target our officers. Three days ago a lieutenant was giving
out orders and in the middle of his talking he just fell over. Graveyard dead.
He never knew it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Edward
purposely avoided history classes in college because he felt they were boring.
Years later he read the Shaara trilogy, opening his eyes to how fascinating the
Civil War could be. He recalled as a boy his grandmother telling him of his
ancestor, John Gore, who fought for the Union. Visiting battle sites and
participating in reenactments has made the Civil War more than just pictures
and words. Instead he could feel the fear, excitement, grief and anger.
Born
and raised in central Kentucky, not far from John’s birthplace, Edward
currently lives outside of Nashville, TN with his wife, two kids and a
goldendoodle.
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GIVEAWAY
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The tour dates can be found here
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My review:
3.75 out of 5 stars
The Green Soldier by J. Edward Gore is an epistolary novel
that tells of young John Gore’s experiences as he joins the Union army and
learns to be a soldier in the war between the States. Hampered by his stutter,
John strives to advance, but the realities of war force him to reevaluate his goals.
This historical novel is told completely through letters
between the main character and his younger brother as well as a young woman he develops
a relationship with. The three viewpoints of the Civil war give different
perspectives on the privations, dangers, and horrors attendant on war and
humanize the struggle. The realism portrayed is gut-wrenching as the author
conveys some of the price paid by so many, who often had no personal
understanding of the plight of those they are fighting to free. This is a very dark
and sobering tale, and I was very unhappy with the ending, although I know it
is realistic. It is a tribute to the author’s technique that I became invested
in the main characters and winced as I turned the pages, fearing the worst at
every turn. The author’s disclaimer at the end is a bit confusing, especially
in light of the picture that comes before it but I think that those who are in
search of a stark story that brings to life the Civil War from the perspective
of Union supporters should consider this one.
A copy of this title was provided for review
