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Bittersweet
Nobody makes Anna Lea Pepper do anything. When Captain Allan Saunders of the Union army informs her General Nathaniel Lyon and hundreds of his soldiers will camp at her farm, she risks her life to protect her home by defying the General. It is the first of a series of impulsive actions that will thrust her into the violence and turmoil of war. Instead of trusting God, Anna Lea builds walls of resentment around her heart that have to be torn down when she is forced to rely on help from unexpected sources: an Osage Indian family and the very same captain who camped on the Pepper farm at the start of the war. Anna Lea learns life can sometimes be Bittersweet.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2011
13 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 30, 2023
An Exciting Story from a Different Perspective
This story tells the experience of a woman and her family that lived through the Civil War in Missouri. Her husband and son went to fight and she and her daughter were left to fend for themselves. The story is based on real occurrences during the war in southern Missouri. Being a northerner (from New York) I had no idea about the events that happened in the Midwest or how people on the other side of the conflict perceived them. I saw the Civil War as a battle between north and south in the east. And since the north won, I saw it from that perspective. I'd heard about jayhawkers but hadn't learned much about them. Nor did I understand Lincoln's burn decrees. I learned so much while rooting for Anna Lea Pepper to have a happily ever after that it changed the way I see the area I now live in. If you like historical romance with adventure give this book a read. You won't be sorry.
This story tells the experience of a woman and her family that lived through the Civil War in Missouri. Her husband and son went to fight and she and her daughter were left to fend for themselves. The story is based on real occurrences during the war in southern Missouri. Being a northerner (from New York) I had no idea about the events that happened in the Midwest or how people on the other side of the conflict perceived them. I saw the Civil War as a battle between north and south in the east. And since the north won, I saw it from that perspective. I'd heard about jayhawkers but hadn't learned much about them. Nor did I understand Lincoln's burn decrees. I learned so much while rooting for Anna Lea Pepper to have a happily ever after that it changed the way I see the area I now live in. If you like historical romance with adventure give this book a read. You won't be sorry.
May 3, 2022
This is a touching historical romance. The main character, Anna Lea Pepper, is a feisty southern woman, with two children to care for while her husband fights in the War Between the States.
A lot happens in this short novel which means one could easily read it again and still enjoy it. There are quite a few characters which can get a little confusing at the beginning, but once the story really gets going, it is easy to settle back and enjoy it all.
Told from a Southern woman's point of view, this story expresses the difficulties women had at that time period, especially during the war. A Christian worldview is present within the story.
This is a clean romance with no descriptive sex scenes and no vulgar language.
A lot happens in this short novel which means one could easily read it again and still enjoy it. There are quite a few characters which can get a little confusing at the beginning, but once the story really gets going, it is easy to settle back and enjoy it all.
Told from a Southern woman's point of view, this story expresses the difficulties women had at that time period, especially during the war. A Christian worldview is present within the story.
This is a clean romance with no descriptive sex scenes and no vulgar language.
April 19, 2019
Civil War
A reader might think, "What other bad thing can befall this family?" but it's probably closer to the reality of the 1860s. It wasn't a good time for poor people! Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it.
A reader might think, "What other bad thing can befall this family?" but it's probably closer to the reality of the 1860s. It wasn't a good time for poor people! Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it.
October 19, 2019
Beautiful, touching novel!
This novel captured my attention with its memorable characters, well-researched history, and emotional tugs to my heart.
Linda Cushman is a gifted writer, if you love historical romance, you need to dive into the pages of Bittersweet.
This novel captured my attention with its memorable characters, well-researched history, and emotional tugs to my heart.
Linda Cushman is a gifted writer, if you love historical romance, you need to dive into the pages of Bittersweet.
March 24, 2019
You have to read this book!
What a beautiful story! It kept me captivated from the beginning. It pricked my heart about the strength of my own faith that I have in God.
What a beautiful story! It kept me captivated from the beginning. It pricked my heart about the strength of my own faith that I have in God.
April 7, 2019
I couldn't stop reading till the end
It was mind spelling! Unable to stop reading, oh what you can do and forgive with God's help! God Is Goid
It was mind spelling! Unable to stop reading, oh what you can do and forgive with God's help! God Is Goid
June 23, 2016
The Civil War is in full swing, and as she faces poverty, hunger, the loss of loved ones, and other atrocities that would have made a less stronger woman give up, Anna Lee Pepper instead decides to trust God to see her and her children through. The story is set in and around the area of Missouri that I live in(also where the author lives as well), and made the many events that occur in it even more real to me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews