When North Meets South Sparks Are Bound To Fly

Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia by Jessica James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Move over, Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara. You’ve met your match. Captain Alexander Hunter, Confederate officer, is brave and daring, as well as handsome. Andrea Evans, Union sympathizer, is headstrong and impulsive, and like a chameleon changes her identity to suit the situation. When North meets South sparks are bound to fly, not only on the battlefield, but also in the lives of a man and woman that will do anything for the cause they believe in.

SHADES OF GRAY, the award winning historical novel by Author Jessica James, is set in Virginia during the American Civil War. Andrea plays many roles in the story: a boy that delivers dispatches for the Union, a guide, and a Southern Belle to name a few. Captain Alexander Hunter is a fearless leader, respected by his men. Both characters believe deeply in their cause and will defend their beliefs until death if necessary. Jessica James shows the personal side of the characters and how families are torn apart in a war that will scar our nation for years to come. The battle scenes are so vivid I felt as though I were in the middle of the action, hearing the cries of pain, witnessing the blood and the dying men. The story contains beautiful moments too. When Alexander and Andrea can stop arguing enough, they realize they’re falling in love, something I’d been telling them all along.

The American Civil War is my favorite era in history, and I have a whole library of books about the war. I am pleased to add another great novel to my collection. The only thing I disliked about the book was the ending, not because it wasn’t beautifully written. It was. I also understand why it ended the way it did. And that’s all I’m saying because I don’t want to give anything away. Other readers may love the ending. However, I am happy to hear that Noble Cause … well, my lips are sealed. I’m reading it next. Ms. James has written another great story dealing with the history of America. Let’s hope we’ve learned our lesson from the past.
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