I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires

One of the finest qualities of Cathy Gohlke's I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires is the way lines become blurred between Union and Confederate sympathies. And I don't simply mean the sympathies of the endearing, believable young hero, Robert Glover. Any reader of this touching, exciting novel will be surprised to find herself rooting for the southern inhabitants as often as for the northern. By dividing Robert's family, Gohlke shows the reader how our divided country suffered; how the conflict wasn't as simple as pro-slavery vs. abolition, states rights vs. Federal power. And, best of all for this reader, Gohlke never reaches for sentiment. Still, she managed to move me to tears more than once. An excellent read for teens and up.

I HAVE SEEN HIM IN THE WATCHFIRES is the exciting sequel to William Henry is a Fine Name, which won the coveted Christy award. This book continues Robert Glover's story. Robert longs to help his countrymen fight the Confederates, but he promised his father that he wouldn't become a solider until his eighteenth birthday. Shortly before that time, he accepts a mission of mercy to locate his cousin, Col. Albert Mitchell, a Confederate soldier held captive in a Union prison, and deliver items from the man's daughter. Afterwards, Robert plans to travel south to find his mother and cousin Emily and take them to the safety of his family's farm in the North. But Robert's plans misfire from the start. His efforts to help Col. Mitchell backfire, and he is taken captive by escaped prisoners. Will he ever see his family or home again? I HAVE SEEN HIM IN THE WATCHFIRES is the fast-paced story of a naïve, good-hearted youth who stumbles into a quagmire of trouble. Robert's fortitude is tested both physically and emotionally, as is his faith in all he believes in. While this is a stand-alone book, there are many references to the first book in this series, and readers will have a fuller understanding if you read William Henry is a Fine Name first. Readers are sure to be quickly engaged in I HAVE SEEN HIM IN THE WATCHFIRES--a story of growing up, true friendship, faith in God, and love of country, family and friends. It wouldn't surprise me if author Cathy Gohlke won another Christy for this book.

I couldn't wait to read the sequel to William Henry is a Fine Name, and Cathy Gohlke didn't disappoint. I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires hooked me from page one. Not yet eighteen (which is old enough to enlist) Robert Glover bides his time at home in Maryland. Pa has gone off to the Civil War and his mother has been living the past five years at her childhood home in North Carolina. A letter from Robert's cousin, Emily, begs he visit her father, a Confederate colonel who'd been captured during the battle of Gettysburg. Unbeknownst to Robert, her father uses him to pass secret information to his men, helping them escape the prison. Now thought to be a Confederate spy, Robert is on the run. He heads for North Carolina, hoping to get to his mother and cousin and be of use. But war has ravaged the land, and Robert is in danger at every turn. He berates himself for not joining the Union and fighting against slavery like his Pa and other young men his age, but he learns that his plans are not always God's plans. As Robert cheats death again and again, he discovers slavery comes in many forms and only by becoming a slave to Christ will he ever be truly free. Very highly recommended. And if you haven't read the first book, you must read, William Henry is a Fine Name (Civil War Series #1).

It is rare that I find a story that stays with me long after I read it. This was one of those stories. This novel is about a young man coming of age during the Civil War. He learns that life is not as black and white as he thinks, and sometimes unexpected twists and turns in life bring us to the place where we can fulfill God's call on our lives in a way we never imagined. I didn't read the first novel in this series yet, although I intend to. But this novel is worth reading even as a stand alone novel. I can not recommend it highly enough. If you only read one novel this year, make it this one.

Cathy Golke's first book, William Henry Is a Fine Name, won a Christy Award, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn this one will too. I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires is the continuation of Robert's story through the Civil War. It is a real page-turner with plenty of excitement as Robert gets entangled in a prison escape, is left for dead, and charged as a spy. Determined to travel south to help his mother and cousin, Robert faces one harrowing challenge after the next. The lessons he learns help him become a man and prepare him to begin a new life after the war. Cathy's storytelling is riveting and her characters become so real you will not want the story to end. Great read!