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Join us and set up your own Blog! How cool! | Bedlam South: A Fresh New Look at an Old War |
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| Written by Our Reviewer, Stuart Nachbar | |
| Thursday, 04 December 2008 00:00 | |
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I am presently working on a novel set in modern day Gettysburg, so I’ve been reading Civil War novels to get a flavor of that city at the time of the famous battle there. I am not drawn to military fiction, stories of armaments, battles and generals’ strategy, as much as the state of civilian community at the time and the lives of citizen soldiers. Yet, I am also not interested in the romanticism of a work such as Gone with the Wind.  Bedlam South The novel’s secondary venue is the frontlines of battle, first Fredericksburg then Gettysburg, where two brothers, Billy and Zeke Gibson, live on, but become separated. Zeke makes it back across enemy lines with his comrades, while Billy is taken prisoner by the Union Army. While healing from battle-inflicted wounds, Billy falls for Sally Stearns, his nurse, and Sally gives birth to Billy’s son before she passes on, but after they become reunited. Billy returns to the Confederacy in a prisoner exchange and makes his way back home. Along the way, he fights for his meals, and a superior officer’s amusement. These two stories are linked through a fascinating set of characters, including “proper” Southern prostitutes, an attorney, Stephen Billings, appointed by President Lincoln to defend the truly insane (with little success), and soldiers of the Confederacy who truly believe the war is lost. After hearing the news that President Lincoln has been re-elected, they say that they cannot fight for another four years. I also learned of the Civil War era definition of “soldier’s heart,” meaning that the mental re-enactment of fighting in battle can cause soldiers to become insane, and lose their will to fight. But at time of war, “soldier’s heart” is more often than not dismissed as a defense against cowardice or desertion. Bedlam South has many plot twists and gave me enough insight into its most interesting characters: Bryarly, Billings, Percy, and Billy Gibson, as well as the backdrop of citizen soldiers and lovers for-hire, to hold my attention from beginning to end. This is probably the most realistic Civil War story I have ever read, not only because of its character development, but also the ways which it describes dark, unpleasant settings. This is a story where you learn that there were different kinds of heroes and different kinds of battles in the War Between the States. Bedlam South is available online, but it is also a Border’s exclusive. If you like Civil War drama, buy it online or in-store. It’s well worth the read. Contact Stuart Nachbar at http://www.EducatedQuest.com , a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicle, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at http://www.SexEdChronicles.com .
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:32 |
