It is April 17, 1861 -- the day that Virginia secedes from the Union and the sixteenth birthday of John Alan Muro. As the Commonwealth erupts in ce...
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Apr 01, 2008
Christine
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I wrote this review for Amazon... hence the more formal tone than my usual write-ups
Nick Taylor's debut is a rare find--a compelling tale of the civil war from the civilian perspective. John Muro arrives at the University of Virginia to begin his medical studies sure of his convictions and beliefs--and as the war wages on he begins to question the fervor he first felt upon hearing news of secession. By focusing on the home front, the female characters are just as prominent (and enga More...
Nick Taylor's debut is a rare find--a compelling tale of the civil war from the civilian perspective. John Muro arrives at the University of Virginia to begin his medical studies sure of his convictions and beliefs--and as the war wages on he begins to question the fervor he first felt upon hearing news of secession. By focusing on the home front, the female characters are just as prominent (and enga More...
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Jun 05, 2010
Caroline Alicia
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 10, 2008
Caroline
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I picked up this book purely by the cover. For some reason I thought it would be dry but from the first couple of paragraphs, I couldn't put it down. The prose and pacing made it a delight to read. I finished it in one flight to California. I found myself not liking the ending but then I realized I didn't like it because I didn't want the book to end. I wanted to know more about what happened.
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Jun 14, 2009
Eustacia
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I just started this one today. It's another of the advance reader's copies sitting on my bookshelf. I'm on a mission this summer to read all the books I've got gathering dust on my bookshelves, get 'em read and make the call as to whether they're worth keeping or passing on. I don't have a solid feel for this one yet, but so far I'm not really pulled in by the author's tone of writing. It feels disconnected from the characters somehow.
I ended up putting this one down about half More...
I ended up putting this one down about half More...
Dec 14, 2010
Jennifer
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I started this book a couple of months ago and just now finished it (I read multiple books at the same time). The fact that it took this long for me to finish says something about how it really wasn't grabbing me, but the fact that I finished it all says that it still had something that gave me hope. The thing is...it got better then the ending just utterly disappointed me. I'm not sure what the main character was feeling or what the author was trying to say.
I did find some aspects o More...
I did find some aspects o More...
May 13, 2008
Scot
rated it: 
A charming first novel on a fascinating topic--what was it like to be a first year student at the University of Virginia, interested in a career in medicine, in 1861? The chapters are many and usually quite short, so it reads a bit like a screenplay with dialogue rather than a more conventional work of historical fiction. I found myself caught up in the drama of the characters' lives, and the hero's girlfriend and college roommate were both intriguing in their capabilities and activities. The
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May 08, 2009
Colin
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I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book a while back while I worked at Borders and finally got around to reading it. It's a fairly light read, a story of a young Virginian who seeks to enter the medical profession against his father's wishes at the outbreak of the Civil War. Appropriately grim at some times, this was nevertheless an enjoyable enough book, good enough to help me get through a rainy day . . .
Jan 26, 2010
Hank
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This was an engaging look at the experience of a doctor in Charlottesville during the Civil War. Having some knowledge and experience myself with the area (Orange, my home town was mentioned because of its importance as a railway junction), images of the University of Virginia and the surrounding counties were natural. What I found so delightful was the way the author captured the style, vocabulary and candence of the speech of Virginians at that time (many hints of which still prevade our loc
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Apr 30, 2011
Alanna
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I wanted to really like this book. As a physician, I was interested in medical training during a time very different from my own. The book had a little of everything- romance, science, war, family. Yet, I didn't feel the author developed any of those subjects in a rewarding way. I think part of the problem was I really did not like or relate to any of the characters. I did finish it, but I was happy for it to end. On a positive note, I actually listened to it on audio CD and the narrator did a
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May 25, 2009
L J
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Having moved to Virginia and always having enjoyed history, I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction. Taylor does a great job of bringing you into the times without truely depressing the reader. He also does a very good job of character development. You don't always agree with or even like the protagonists. A good story and a good read.
Nov 02, 2010
Nick
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It was a good read. A bit disjointed in places, but manages to pull together at the end. If you like American Civil War fiction, this should be on your tier-two list.
Dec 01, 2008
Nadine
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I feel like this book should have been better than it was. The subject matter is very interesting--the story follows a young man in medical school in Virginia when the Civil War begins. He is quickly thrown into the deep end and must essentially become a doctor under very difficult conditions, simultaneously grappling with strained family relationships and a challenging romance. For some reason, though, I felt like the narrator really held me at arm's length and I wasn't able to care as much
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Apr 20, 2009
Elaine
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This was a very good book. It took place during the Civil War, and brought to life what it was like to live in those times.
Nov 18, 2009
This book just received the 2009 Michael Shaara Prize for excellence in Civil War Fiction.
May 18, 2008
Michael
rated it:
The Disagreement by Nick Taylor, predominately it takes place in Charlottesville at the Charlottesville General Hospital during the American Civil War. Even after finishing it, I am unsure if the title referred to the North and State struggle, John Alan Muro and his family or he and his fiancee Miss Lorrie Wigfal. It is nicely written and as both good characterization as well developed character identification. Being a big fan of Ken Burns’ Civil War and history in general, I enjoyed it but I am
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Jul 25, 2011
K
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Told from the viewpoint of a young Virginia doctor studying/working at the University of Viriginia during the civil war. The book starts as John Alan Muro celebrates his 16th birthday on the day Virginia secedes from the Union and follows him to UVA to study medicine where he is quickly pressed into service as a real doctor. A story of love, loyalty and sacrifice as a boy grows into a man during a time of war.
Sep 21, 2009
Donna
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A different book about the Civil War. Told through the eyes of a young man who attended the University of Virginia's medical school during the conflict, it focuses on the homefront experiences of Southerners during the war rather than military movements and battles. Living in Virginia, I am familiar with the university and much of the area in which this story takes places and I enjoyed this book very much.
Aug 10, 2010
Mark
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Ohhhh this book is terrible. This book is one giant cliche. The writing is terrible. The plot is childish. Just awful. Oh, and it's set at UVA.
Jun 15, 2009
Kerry
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Excellent fiction, with great historical accuracy which is very important to me. Reminds me of "the widow of the south".
Dec 21, 2011
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Sep 17, 2011
