The Widow of the South

One of my all-time favorite books. There are very few books that I will read a second time. This one? I’ve read a few times and it’s about time to read it again. The gripping writing made me a fan of Robert Hicks, as well. Highly recommend Widow of the South especially if you love historic novels, the Civil War, or a poignant glimpse into the reality of the era.

THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH is Robert Hicks's debut novel, but this beautiful, moving book is written with the style of a seasoned author. First of all, I have to admit I've never been a big fan of Civil War history. But I saw an interview with the author on TV and I was fascinated by the story behind the book. Hicks wrote it to bring attention to his cause, which is to preserve Tennessee's historic battlefields from being turned into parking lots and condominiums. Hicks claimed he didn't know how to write, and the book took him seven years. It's fiction, but based on the life of a real person and a real battle. Carrie McGavock was the mistress of the Carnton estate in Franklin, Tenn. One terrible day, a battle came to her backyard - literally. "Many consider the battle to be the bloodiest five hours of the Civil War," says Hicks. About 6,000 Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded that day, and many of the wounded were taken to McGavock's house, which was turned into a Confederate field hospital. According to Hicks, a visitor to the house today can still see blood stains in the wooden floor. Carrie McGavock made herself the "keeper" of the dead soldiers, deciding to give her own land for their burial and to maintain the cemetery in their honor. The powerful images are vivid. Who would have thought someone could write about the utter carnage of the Civil War using such lyrical language? For example, after the battle, when the guns and cannons have shot up everything, including the cotton in the fields, Hicks describes the white, fluffy tufts of cotton settling like snow on the bodies of the dead. "It was horrible and lovely and unexpected." Hicks includes many sensitive, thoughtful passages about death and war. He brings eyewitness immediacy to the work by sometimes writing in the first person, giving us the thoughts of a soldier going into battle, facing almost certain death. And he prints a letter from a man who lost his son in that battle. Its anti-war message applies even today: "My son, my loving and beautiful son, was sacrificed upon the altar of your insanity and your evil. I loved him, but I will not commemorate his actions, or the actions of any of those other boys, any more than I would celebrate a suicide. I've given you your sacrifice, ask no more of me." You can really immerse yourself in the story. This excellent book should win every award out there.

This is a beautiful and extremely well written story. It is about real people who behave like real people. I particularly appreciated the relationship between Carrie and John McGavock. Theirs is a long term marriage which survived, not a fairy tale. The marriage had its ups and downs as do all. But "lust in ones heart" is benign. John appears as a man, not a typical fictional husband and that is refreshing. The build-up to the battle, particularly that going on in the minds of the soldiers, is believable and thought provoking. For those of us who have never been in the military, it suggests how men (and today women) can anticipate such a horrendous situation. I loved "The Widow of the South!"

I was lucky enough to stumble across an Advance Reading Copy of this novel as was blown away. I have read reviewed many novels set during the Civil War (check our my other reviews and my Listomania List) and this taunt and evocative novel is one of the best of its kind. The Battle of Franklin, though little has been written about it, was one of the bloodiest of the war. Imagine five Confederate generals lined up dead on the porch of a house after the battle, and the owner of this house, Carrie McGavock's story is the subject of the book. Aside from her story during and after the battle there is a wealth of minor characters that bring the period to life. In short this is so much more than an novel for Civil War enthusiasts, but like "Cold Mountain" (though in many ways much better) a book for everyone.

Outstanding! This amazing first novel adroitly explores the emotional passage of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War from several compelling perspectives. Through Robert Hicks's focus on the psychological journey of Carrie McGavock, he tells a beautiful story of compassion and affection within the context of death and suffering. The Widow of the South reconnects a forgetful America with one remarkable woman's commitment made to thousands of strangers over a hundred years ago, while at the same time reconsiders the Battle of Franklin's importance in revealing the brutality of war that led to the surrender of the Confederacy. One of the most impressive aspects of Hicks's novel is how he accurately presents the battle, the town of Franklin, and the McGavock family without assuming either a dry documentary narrative or wrapping the story in a melodramatic cloak of romanticism. At times the prose can seem overwrought with internal drama; however, this style seems warranted when the main characters' dramatic psychological awakenings and evolutions are considered. Although Carrie is the unquestionable center of the novel, I found the supporting characters just as compelling and fully developed. The presentation of the Battle of Franklin and its importance to the Union and the Confederacy is skillfully achieved. I believe that this novel will appeal to both general readers who enjoy well crafted stories and to those interested in the Civil War particularly. This is a highly recommended book.

The `Widow of the South' will bring Carrie McGavock's story to people who have never heard of this remarkable person. As a young, high spirited woman, she sat for a portrait wearing black, certainly not the done thing at the time. Ironically, black becomes the color of her life. She knows firsthand the loss of three beloved children and treats all the dead boys from the battle that raged outside her home as if they were her own. One of the most touching parts of the book is the true story about a Georgia family who traveled to Tennessee to bring their dead son home from Carrie's cemetery. After seeing how she lovingly cared for him, they decided to leave him in Tennessee returning only to bring Georgia dirt from their farm for his resting place. One read of this book is not enough.