The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War

This book is well researched and an engrossing story. Well done! At first it was a bit hard to get used to the style of writing but it is as it would have been. I am so glad I stayed with it as I quickly got used to it and loved every minute. I can't wait to read more by Owen Parry. I read a lot of Civil War era books and his portray is very accurate. I hope readers will enjoy this as much as I did.

I read Bahr's book about the same time Cold Mountain - they were both originally published at the same time, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure why Cold Mountain got all that press and attention when this book is head and shoulders above it. I still don't understand that phenomena. Every thing about Cold Mountain was pedestrian - and I mean that in every possible sense of the word. But Black Flower unfolds with mystery and sensitivity within about a square mile area - not a lot of walking going on here. The irony of war shows up over and over - the characters that we meet here on a wintry day's battle in Tennessee come to us as flawed human beings, embraced with their flaws by the other characters and by us as we read their unfolding pain and resolution. I have bought four copies of this book. I have my original hardback that I'm NOT giving up and three paperbacks for gifts. I have read quite a bit about the Civil War and historically, though it isn't burdensome, this book is true to its time, the geography, the battle, and details are impeccably presented - you could teach a slice of history with this book. Though a fast read, this book is well-worth its price and will captivate and entertain you.

I am one of those voracious readers who devours a book a day, and quite often in a single all-night session....but not this time. I knew there were only 267 wonderful pages and I allowed myself a single chapter a day...savoring every word and making it last as long as possible. The tale is beautifully crafted, and the details so exquisitely rendered, I was spellbound by the journey of a wasp and could literally hear the cadences of Southern speech and the horrible clamor of battling men. Mr. Bahr has shaped something powerful and full of beauty from the raw ugliness that is war. His obvious love for his characters made ME love them ,as well. I look forward to Mr. Bahr's next novel, for surely a writer so gifted will have other marvelous stories to share. Was there anything I DID NOT enjoy about this book? Only one thing...I did not want it to end!

This book is sheer poetry masquerading as a Civil War novel. No matter how gruesome the subject matter of the moment, Howard Bahr manages to take it beyond your mind and into your heart -- you understand what he's writing with your soul. His description of the army as a living breathing entity unto itself as it goes into battle, is masterful and helps those of us who have never experienced battle to have an inkling of what makes normal men able to fight and kill. The interactions involving Bushrod and the other characters who have such a strong effect on his life are beautiful and touching. The Black Flower truly brings the horrors of war and death to life, you can virtually feel the characters' pain and smell the smells that surround them. But the beauty of the writer's language pulls the reader on and on no matter what the horrors may be. You care so much about these characters that you must go on. This book will be right up there on the top of my all time list of recommended favorites. If I could give it higher rating than a ten I would.