• Publisher: Regal House Publishing (May 20, 2025)
• Paperback: 290 pages
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this
intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a
thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older
husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents’ wishes by
enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord. In
October 1863, devastating news arrives: Francis has been critically
wounded near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Susannah embarks on a perilous
journey to bring her son home, finding Francis delirious with fever and
haunted by the horrors of battle. Their reunion is overshadowed by the
conflicts at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, culminating in
Francis being captured as a prisoner of war. As the war exacts its toll
and tensions escalate between mother and son, Susannah confronts
impossible choices amidst harrowing revelations from home. This gripping
narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound
impacts of war on family bonds, painting a vivid portrait of one woman’s
relentless fight for survival and reconciliation in a time of
unprecedented turmoil.
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Review:
I have always been a history buff, with the Tudor era being my absolute favorite. But a few months ago, I found a 4 book series about the civil war and was immediately sucked in.
Little did I know that just a few weeks after, I would be asked if I wanted to review this book about, yep, you guessed it, the civil war. I jumped at the chance. It was a subject I was interested in and an author I had never read before.
Measure of Devotion by Nell Joslin is an impactful, well written and fascinating story that takes you through the ups and downs, intricate details and the raw, unfiltered, heartbreaking facts of war.
The story follows Susannah Shelbourne. Her husband Jacob is extremely sick and her son Francis is away fighting for the Confederates in the Civil War. There is a strained relationship that we immediately become aware of, between parents and son, a relationship that is further looked into and explained as the story progresses.
As Susannah cares for her husband, a telegram comes in addressed to Jacob from their son Francis, stating that he has been severely injured and he needs is father to come to him. Because of Jacob's illness, Susannah takes it upon herself to go to their son. She leaves behind a sick husband, fearful that she may return to find him passed on, and the unknown situation of her son sending her alone, traveling through the country to find him and try to heal him as best she can.
What ensues from that moment on, is a a beautiful story of forgiveness, of resilience and loyalty during difficult times. The author does a brilliant job of bringing to life the setting, and making us feel like we are right there. From the family home in Ardwyn to the battlefield and war destroyed Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain.
The book does flip back and forth in the beginning as we get to see Susannah in real time, and going back to when she first met Jacob, their relationship, the birth of their son Francis and how the strained relationship came to be.
If you enjoy historical fiction, you will absolutely love this book. It's hard to read at times but that's because of the content and the raw emotions detailing the ugliness of war, what people did, what they thought, and the fact that some believed that everything was at a play for their side to win.
Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Regal House Publishing, for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.
1 comment
In general, a lot happened during the American Civil War!!