[.ca] The Widow of the South (ISBN 1594835799)

Amazon.com Review:
In an Author's Note at the end of his book The Widow of the South, Robert Hicks tells us that "when Oscar Wilde made his infamous tour of America in 1882, he told his hosts that his itinerary should include a visit to 'sunny Tennessee to meet the Widow McGavock, the high priestess of the temple of dead boys.'" Carrie McGavock, The Widow of the South, did indeed take it upon herself to grieve the loss of so many young men in the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, which took place on November 30, 1864. Nine thousand men lost their lives that day. She and her husband John eventually re-buried on their own land 1,481 Confederate soldiers killed at Franklin, when the family that owned the land on which the original shallow graves had been dug decided to plow it under and put it into cultivation. Before the battle begins, Carrie's house is commandeered for a field hospital and all normal life is suspended. Carrie is anything but normal, however. She has buried three children, has two living children she pays little attention to, has turned the running of the house over to her slave, Mariah, and spends her time dressed in black walking around in the dark or lying down lamenting her loss. She is a morbid figure from the outset but becomes less so as the novel progresses. The death going on all around her shakes her out of her torpor, but death is definitely her comfort zone. One of the soldiers who is treated at the house is Zachariah Cashwell, who loses his leg when Carrie sends him to surgery rather than watch him die. They are inextricably bound in some kind of a spiritual dance from then on. Their reasons for being drawn to each other are inexplicable, apparently, because they remain unexplained, and when Cashwell tells Carrie he loves her, she beats him nearly to death because she loves him too. At least, that is the reason Hicks gives. He violates that first caveat given to all writers: "show us, don't tell us." There is doubtless something deeply flawed in Carrie and screamingly symbolic about her behavior; it is surely elusive. Too bad, because Carrie was a real person whom Hicks lauds for her compassion and ability to grieve without end. Then, he throws in this gratuitous "love story" and confuses the issue. Carrie's relationship with her husband and children remains unexamined. Hicks is better at describing death and "the stink of war" than he is at life. If you read War and Peace and loved all the war parts and were bored senseless by the peace parts, this is your cup of tea. --Valerie Ryan

Writing as Fine Music:
It was difficult for me to believe that this fine historical novel was a debut effort. Then I did a little research and learned that Robert Hicks has a musical background. Add an obvious passion and knowledge for the subject to his lyrical ear, and you have a symphony. I'm really looking forward to his next one--not only because he's such a fine writer, but I'm curious if he'll be able to handled a different subject with equal dexterity.

This is the very rare book.........:
....from which you need to read the Epilogue first. Otherwise, you may have trouble separating fact from fiction. And this is NOT the place for me to defend General John Bell Hood against Wiley Sword's lies; Mr. Hicks avoided that necessity. The Battle of Franklin of November 30, 1864 was quite real...9,000 Americans dead in about four hours; (What would the press make of that now)? Carnton Plantation is real....I bought my copy of this book there, I've seen the blood still soaked into the floors, and walked thru the cemetery. Sacred Ground. Carrie McGavock was real, as were her family, and her slave Mariah. Carrie really did wear black, and really did live out her days caring for the cemetery, though she was only an actual "widow" for her last few years, she really did carry the title of the book. Nathan Bedford Forrest was certainly real, but he only gets two small cameos, the second of which is fiction, and the first may be, too. The rest....... ...is a work of fiction. Zachariah Cashwell and Nathan Stiles are nobody in particular, and thus stand-ins for everybody. The romance between Carrie and Zachariah is certainly fabricated. The story of how the cemetery got to Carnton is "fiction" in the sense that it's condensed to make it flow easier, with made-up characters to move the action.... I don't read "romance novels", but the circumstances on this one were different. I shall mention another book sold at Carnton..."For Cause and For Country", by Eric Jacobson, who, like Mr. Hicks, works there. Don't buy it unless you're serious: for me it was a page turner (stomach turner, too, in spots)....for others it may be merely 500 pages of small print. But, it's the REAL story of General Hood's Tennessee Campaign of fall, 1864. Not a whitewash of our great and maligned General, but not Wiley Sword's tapestry of lies, either. Mr. Hicks calls THIS book the fiction it is....

Great Read!:
One of the best historical fiction stories I have read. i lived in Franklin, Tennessee and to envision the locations described in the book was quite entertaining. It rates up there with other Civil War stories such as ASIN:0312426933 The Judas Field: A Novel of the Civil War, ASIN:0345422473 Gods and Generals and ASIN:0345444124 The Killer Angels.

A Memorable and Well-Written Historical Novel...:
Never would I have thought anyone could write this well about such a devastating battle. I had previously read of the battle at Franklin, but this novel adds the necessary context to many of the events that took place. A great deal of research and thought went into writing this well, and the author is to be highly commended for his work! I originally read this book upon checking it out at the library. However, I simply enjoyed reading it so much, it became necessary to purchase a copy for myself. There are so many new insights to be gained upon reading a book the second and third time. I felt this was one of those books. I will ALWAYS treasure this novel as it speaks to the very human and caring side of everyone's character...

One of the BEST:
I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to visit the actual site. If made into a movie, this story would equal Cold Mountain's fame. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history and the south.