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Savannah: Or a Gift For Mr. Lincoln
by
John Jakes
Georgia 1864: Sherman's army marches inexorably from Atlanta to the sea. In its path: the charming old city of Savannah, where the Lester ladies-attractive widow Sara and her feisty twelve-year-old daughter Hattie-struggle to save the family rice plantation. When Sherman offers the conquered city to President Lincoln as "a Christmas gift," Hattie and the feared g...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
September 6th 2005
by Signet
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The only other work of Jakes that I have read was Charleston. Savannah is a completely different type of book. The main character is a young girl, which makes the book feel like it is geared toward the teenage crowd. Descriptions are not very detailed and all of the action that takes place is void of any feeling of excitement. I was expecting something similar to Charleston with its complex families and detailed descriptions of places and events. My main purpose for reading this book was the hop...more
This was a great book to read after The Kent Family Chronicles #5 - The Titans. (It was an accident, but a good one) In the Titans, I believe Lincoln had just been elected and the war had just gotten off to a good start. This book isn't part of the Kent Family Chronicles, but it is about Sherman's ravaging the country, burning Atlanta Georgia, and marching on to take over Savannah. This all happened right at Christmas time, so someone suggested that Sherman offer Savannah to President Lincoln as...more
filler book while waiting for other reads
Easy read with a host of characters: civilians struggling with the occupation of Sherman's Union troops, bleak weather, limited food and it is Christmastime. There are the honest rebel civilians dealing with the generousity of union forces and the unethical rebel relatives. Race relations are addressed to a lesser degree with Adam and Zip. Sherman himself is a major player as he relates to the Hattie, 12 yr old girl, her mother Mrs Lester and thei...more
Easy read with a host of characters: civilians struggling with the occupation of Sherman's Union troops, bleak weather, limited food and it is Christmastime. There are the honest rebel civilians dealing with the generousity of union forces and the unethical rebel relatives. Race relations are addressed to a lesser degree with Adam and Zip. Sherman himself is a major player as he relates to the Hattie, 12 yr old girl, her mother Mrs Lester and thei...more
John Jakes is another one of "my" authors, or an author that I will pretty much purchase and read anything they publish. Over the years, these authors have changed somewhat, particularly if there is a downard trend in quality. "Savannah: or A Gift for Mr Lincoln" ranks on the lower end of Mr Jakes' work but still there is enough enjoyment here to keep him on my list. His last three books have suffered some so he's pushing it a little but his age would dictate there aren't ...more
A very uncharacteristic John Jakes book, Savannah never seemed to get going, and I didn't find myself drawn into the characters and time period of the book. Rather than an in depth (though fictional) account of historical events, this book was quite simply a "light read." From the young girl (the main character) having a pig as a pet and taking it for walks on a leash to the very fact that the book had pictures (drawings like a kid's book), I just couldn't take it seriously and cannot ...more
This was my copy, which has been recycled. Adult historical fiction.
This was my first taste of the author, and I loved the book. It is wonderful! Clean.
It is a Christmas story of Union and Confederate troops and Georgians at the end of the Civil War. I read it just before or during my only visit to the city of Savannah, during which i was able to walk the same streets and historic districts described in the book.
This was my first taste of the author, and I loved the book. It is wonderful! Clean.
It is a Christmas story of Union and Confederate troops and Georgians at the end of the Civil War. I read it just before or during my only visit to the city of Savannah, during which i was able to walk the same streets and historic districts described in the book.
Start with the good: I liked the historical details, I liked learning about the Civil War time period and specifically about city I would love to visit someday.
But this story was also cheesy and somewhat predictable. The characters were skin-deep, stereotyped, and superficially developed, and I found Hattie's character to be unbelievable as a 12-year-old girl. Meh! There's gotta be better historical fiction out there, maybe just not on audio CD at my local library (which is where I g...more
But this story was also cheesy and somewhat predictable. The characters were skin-deep, stereotyped, and superficially developed, and I found Hattie's character to be unbelievable as a 12-year-old girl. Meh! There's gotta be better historical fiction out there, maybe just not on audio CD at my local library (which is where I g...more
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I love Savannah, so I really looked forward to reading this work of historical fiction. I enjoyed the historical details, Sherman's march on Savannah, and his Christmas gift to Lincoln of preserving this beautiful city, yet conquering it. The book and its characters just seemed shallow and trite to me, though, and on the whole, I was disappointed.
My sister lived in Savannah when I was in high school, and I have always loved the city so I read the book. But I was a little disappointed in the story. Something about the writing seemed too melodramatic, and it seemed to me that there were too many characters for such a short novel. Even so, I enjoyed reading the book. I loved the map of Savannah at the beginning of the book, and I couldn't help but remember my visits there in the '60's. I need to go back there soon!
While I enjoyed the fact that John Jakes was finally able to write a book that didn't need to get sexual in its content, it was disappointing that the historical side of this book was more lacking than his other titles.
That said, some good characters in this story, with the young Hattie being the most lively and fun to read.
That said, some good characters in this story, with the young Hattie being the most lively and fun to read.
This is an amazing Christmas story that takes a break from a brutal war and devastation. The characters are memorable and you get a look at the humanity on both sides of the U.S. Civil War in the middle of suffering and brutality. I love the tenacity of the main characters, Sara and her daughter, Hattie. I recommend it.
SUMMER READING CLUB: "General Sherman marched to the Atlantic Ocean through Savannah during the Civil War. His army caused great destruction to the south by burning and looting. the autor creates a fictional offset about a little girl, Hattie, that detaches you from all the misery." -Ruth Ellen Carlsen
enjoyed this historical fiction story but not as much as the earlier John Jakes books. Maybe it's because I was much younger, and more of a romantic, when I read "North and South" and the rest of the series! :-)
Anyway, still a good story.
Anyway, still a good story.
We 'listened to this on our way to the Outer Banks, NC from Michigan. It was okay....but not something I would recommend. That said; My partner in crime loved it....but this is my review so I'm sticking with just okay.
This book was quite interesting and yet fairly wordy. It gives a very good perspective of personal life in the south during the Civil War, one of which is rarely seen in typical American History class.
A fictionalized version of Sherman's arrival in Savannah. Focuses on one Southern family greatly affected. Didn't seem up to Johnn Jakes' usual good historical fiction.
Good historical fiction. I wish I could follow the characters further but I understand the significance of focusing on that interlude in Savannah's history. I love the city of Savannah.
I have enjoyed most of the John Jakes books that I've read. However, this one seemed mujch more fiction than historicall. A good light read for a busy time of year (Christmas season).
I bought this book simply because it was written by John Jakes, author of a favorite series of mine "North and South" trilogy. Savannah didn't grip me as much as the other books did, but it does have some great characters, and you sympathize with the people of Savannah as they await the on-coming Yankees led by Ohio's own General Sherman. There are some great scenes of courage of the Southern women who were mostly alone during the war. I plan to re-read this book to get more out of ...more
I read the Kent Family Chronicles ages ago. A friend lent me Savannah and I'm reading it now. He tells a decent story. More when I finish.
Pretty lame - used to really like this author. I did learn some things about the Civil war, but not enough to justify it.
Sherman's Christmas, 1864 gift to Lincoln of the city of Savannah after "disappearing" after burning of Atlanta.
John Jakes's stand-alone novels just don't have the same feel as his sweeping sagas. The story spans about a month leading up to and after Christmas 1864. There is character development, but the story still seems somewhat abbreviated to me. I suppose it's not fair to compare it to the North and South trilogy or the Kent Family Chronicles. As always, Jakes weaves his fictional characters into a historical framework and I definitely saw a side of Sherman that I'd not ever thought of. It was wonde...more
Own
This book must have been intended for teens to read. The characters seemed to be introduced as an after thought. The book included graphics which detracted from the experience.
This book must have been intended for teens to read. The characters seemed to be introduced as an after thought. The book included graphics which detracted from the experience.
Civil War story through eyes of young girl. Interesting, new look at Gen. William T. Sherman.
Read like a Nicholas Sparks novel with historical events intermixed.
Sue Seckinger
is currently reading it
typical "gone with the wind" book
Great book but how could you go wrong with John Jakes? This book was a short and interesting read about one Southern city (Savannah, of course) at the end of the Civil War, during the Christmas season. The penury, fear and gentility of the citizens of Savannah are well written as are the disreputable acts of some of the Yankees and the honor and decency of the rest. Definitely a book worth reading if you're interested in the Civil War or just interested in the complexities involved in being a...more
An educated blend of fact and fiction set the stage for this historical, yet charmingly human tale of life in the South during the civil war. Jake's has obviously done his homework and is quite knowledgable about the people and places of that time period. I loved the characters, and their dialogue which often employs the use of several antiquated, altogether unfamiliar, but historically correct, terms and expressions. I'd like to read "Charleston", another civil war novel by John Jakes...more
Okay I only read a couple of chapters so I guess I can't technically say I read this book. I just could not get into it. The characters bored me. I'm a believer that if a book doesn't capture me in the first few chapters that it's going to be a difficult book to get through. I might try one of his other books and see if I can get into it. I just couldn't connect with this one which was disappointing. I absolutely love reading books that have a bit of history in the mix. Oh well, onto the next bo...more
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John Jakes is the acknowledged contemporary master of the family saga. He is the creator of the legendary eight-volume Kent Family Chronicles, the Main and Hazard families of The North and South Trilogy, and the Crowns of Chicago, German-Americans whose stories interweave the history of the twentieth century in Homeland and its se...more
More about John Jakes...
John Jakes is the acknowledged contemporary master of the family saga. He is the creator of the legendary eight-volume Kent Family Chronicles, the Main and Hazard families of The North and South Trilogy, and the Crowns of Chicago, German-Americans whose stories interweave the history of the twentieth century in Homeland and its se...more
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