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A Song of Home
In war time, everyone is called to fulfill their patriotic duty. But everyone's duty is not the same. For some, it's to soldier on the field of battle. For others, it is to stay back and defend the home front. Still others keep the soldiers clothed and cared for.
“We’re gonna finish this,” Seth murmured. “We’re gonna finish this fight once and for all. They can’t just come in and threaten a man’s family and livelihood just because they feel like it.”
“It’s a hard lesson to teach,” Silas interjected. “The Patriots were outmanned and outgunned, but they taught the redcoats right well. God’s will is most important, and God is the best Teacher. Sometimes He does it Himself, and other times He uses men to teach the lesson.”
Join the Mason family as another year of war dawns with no end in sight. Despair, hatred and death surround them...will they ever know a time of hope, love and peace again?
Bring your family along on another history packed journey full of battle, music, victory and defeat. The war ain't over ‘til the sabers quit clashing!
“We’re gonna finish this,” Seth murmured. “We’re gonna finish this fight once and for all. They can’t just come in and threaten a man’s family and livelihood just because they feel like it.”
“It’s a hard lesson to teach,” Silas interjected. “The Patriots were outmanned and outgunned, but they taught the redcoats right well. God’s will is most important, and God is the best Teacher. Sometimes He does it Himself, and other times He uses men to teach the lesson.”
Join the Mason family as another year of war dawns with no end in sight. Despair, hatred and death surround them...will they ever know a time of hope, love and peace again?
Bring your family along on another history packed journey full of battle, music, victory and defeat. The war ain't over ‘til the sabers quit clashing!
- GenresHistorical Fiction
314 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2020
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 16, 2022
Another good book in the series! I'm glad this one wasn't as sad as the last one...though there were still some sad parts. I've enjoyed learning more about the War Between the States. These books have had some pieces of information I wasn't familiar with. And now, I'm impatiently waiting the release of Book 5!
November 8, 2021
I have absolutely loved this entire series so far! These books are wholesome, clean, historically accurate, Christ honoring, and the list goes on. It was a blessing to be able to read them!
Read
March 29, 2023New RTC once I've re-read these; I have some retrospective thoughts that have popped up in the last few months, plus all the research I've been doing has led me down many a rabbit hole that has caused at least one retrospective thought but I'm going to wait until I've read the 5th book to voice said thoughts.
****
Alright, so originally I was going to wait until the 5th book came out to review these as a whole. I've changed my mind. I'm going to be reviewing the current 4 as a whole right here. I might still read the fifth book when it comes out, but for now, here are my collective thoughts on the series at this point in time. Please be advised it is merely my personal opinion and I don't intend any disrespect whatsoever towards the author. I am trying to be as gracious as I possibly can.
****
Mechanical-wise, the writing could use a little polishing and there did appear to be a couple of anachronisms, which are always annoying. There was also quite a bit of head-hopping and some pieces of dialogue could've used a speaker tag.
****
What I did like:
1. The friendships and the familial relations.
2. If I had to choose my favorite character, I’d probably pick Constance Angelica. (I love prissy characters who turn into softies, ok?) Or I’d pick the Union soldier. If you know, you know. (The only con to this was the massive amount of characters in this series as a whole)
3. Some moments I liked; unfortunately, aside from the Union soldier, I can't quite remember all of them.
****
What I didn’t like:
1. At least 1-2 Bible verses appeared to be taken out of context. Because the Bible is the Word of God, we who are Christians ought to be very careful when using verses for our stories lest we fall into cherry-picking, thus distorting the original context.
2. The way the Gospel was treated came across in a nonchalant, trivial way, almost like a Band-Aid. Um...the Gospel ain’t a Band-Aid, folks. What the Gospel does do is reveal how spiritually dead as a doornail we are and how desperately we need a Savior.
3. Regarding the historical background, it seemed as though only one side was being presented in a ‘fair’ manner while the other was a bit distorted. Yes, some Union soldiers *did* fight to free the slaves. Why? Because they believed it was the only way slavery would end in the United States. Many people believed it, actually. Also, while some of the Northern men were depicted as fighting for the South, which did indeed happen, there are no Southern men depicted fighting for the North, despite the fact that that also happened.*
4. The way black people are depicted in this made me a bit uncomfortable. The way their speech is written put me off, they come across as always agreeing with the white Southerners, they’re all basically relegated to being background characters, and Black Union regiments aren’t mentioned until the 4th book (if my memory serves correct) despite the fact they started to form (as volunteers) in 1862.
5. MINOR SPOILER: I’m also sorry to say I found a certain scene where a slave was freed lacking. It came more across as a pat-yourself-on-the-back thing rather than an actual good thing. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad the man was freed, but the way it was depicted fell flat for me.
6. Frederick Douglass, a man who escaped the horrors of slavery to become an abolitionist, an eloquent speaker, and an advisor to President Lincoln; a man who believed photographs had the power to destroy racial stereotypes and was certainly well-known by the time of the war, was totally nonexistent.
7. I also didn’t like how it seemed to imply Lincoln was fully responsible for the war when in reality, the war was the culmination of multiple events that had been falling like dominoes since *before* he was born. Nor did I like how the South’s atrocities were basically swept under the rug but the North’s atrocities were certainly talked about and put on display.
8. The footnotes were helpful for the most part; but saying Andrew Johnson turned his back on his heritage and calling the Emancipation Proclamation ‘propaganda’ sounded unprofessional, imho. Aside from wondering which part of his heritage Johnson turned his back on, I wouldn’t exactly call the EP propaganda.
Yes, it is true that it didn’t free all the slaves; however, it did basically mean that slaves in the South would be freed as the Union Army advanced (in fact, the EP was celebrated by many Black people), essentially told them they were under no obligation to remain loyal to their masters, and it did pave the way for black men to join the Union Army and become some of the best fighters a general whose name unfortunately escapes me ever saw.
9. Theologically speaking, it appears the author is of the dispensationalist view but after looking it up, I discovered that dispensationalism didn't reach America until after the Civil War.
****
Final thoughts:
I’ll concede that the South did have some points and that the North did have its fair share of wrongdoing, but that’s it. I cannot in good conscience bring myself to support the South’s reasoning nor can I agree that the North was solely responsible for starting the war.
BOTH sides were responsible. BOTH sides were right and wrong. You cannot pin all the blame on the North and ignore the South’s part and vice versa. That is a gross distortion of history.
As for recommending these books, I’m not sure I can do that either, if only because of how Black people, whether slave or free, are depicted. It’s one thing to depict how they were treated by others in that specific time period; it's another entirely how you yourself depict them as the person they are.
We who are Christians ought to portray our fellow human beings in a respectful manner, no matter the historical period we are writing about. It did not come across that way for me in these books, and for that reason, I cannot personally recommend them. I'm not sure I could give it any sort of star rating either.
If you still want to read them, go ahead. If you’d like more information that ventures into spoiler territory, just message me.
*That is, I can’t recollect that latter instance. Perhaps it is there and it flew over my head, which I wouldn’t doubt; I did read half of each book late into the night till my eyes glazed over…
Edit: Also, President Buchanan isn't mentioned either, despite the fact he had tried to send supplies to Fort Sumter (if I remember correctly, the secessionists forced the ship to go back) before his term as president ended. Plus, he opposed secession but also believed he couldn't do anything to stop it.
****
Alright, so originally I was going to wait until the 5th book came out to review these as a whole. I've changed my mind. I'm going to be reviewing the current 4 as a whole right here. I might still read the fifth book when it comes out, but for now, here are my collective thoughts on the series at this point in time. Please be advised it is merely my personal opinion and I don't intend any disrespect whatsoever towards the author. I am trying to be as gracious as I possibly can.
****
Mechanical-wise, the writing could use a little polishing and there did appear to be a couple of anachronisms, which are always annoying. There was also quite a bit of head-hopping and some pieces of dialogue could've used a speaker tag.
****
What I did like:
1. The friendships and the familial relations.
2. If I had to choose my favorite character, I’d probably pick Constance Angelica. (I love prissy characters who turn into softies, ok?) Or I’d pick the Union soldier. If you know, you know. (The only con to this was the massive amount of characters in this series as a whole)
3. Some moments I liked; unfortunately, aside from the Union soldier, I can't quite remember all of them.
****
What I didn’t like:
1. At least 1-2 Bible verses appeared to be taken out of context. Because the Bible is the Word of God, we who are Christians ought to be very careful when using verses for our stories lest we fall into cherry-picking, thus distorting the original context.
2. The way the Gospel was treated came across in a nonchalant, trivial way, almost like a Band-Aid. Um...the Gospel ain’t a Band-Aid, folks. What the Gospel does do is reveal how spiritually dead as a doornail we are and how desperately we need a Savior.
3. Regarding the historical background, it seemed as though only one side was being presented in a ‘fair’ manner while the other was a bit distorted. Yes, some Union soldiers *did* fight to free the slaves. Why? Because they believed it was the only way slavery would end in the United States. Many people believed it, actually. Also, while some of the Northern men were depicted as fighting for the South, which did indeed happen, there are no Southern men depicted fighting for the North, despite the fact that that also happened.*
4. The way black people are depicted in this made me a bit uncomfortable. The way their speech is written put me off, they come across as always agreeing with the white Southerners, they’re all basically relegated to being background characters, and Black Union regiments aren’t mentioned until the 4th book (if my memory serves correct) despite the fact they started to form (as volunteers) in 1862.
5. MINOR SPOILER: I’m also sorry to say I found a certain scene where a slave was freed lacking. It came more across as a pat-yourself-on-the-back thing rather than an actual good thing. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad the man was freed, but the way it was depicted fell flat for me.
6. Frederick Douglass, a man who escaped the horrors of slavery to become an abolitionist, an eloquent speaker, and an advisor to President Lincoln; a man who believed photographs had the power to destroy racial stereotypes and was certainly well-known by the time of the war, was totally nonexistent.
7. I also didn’t like how it seemed to imply Lincoln was fully responsible for the war when in reality, the war was the culmination of multiple events that had been falling like dominoes since *before* he was born. Nor did I like how the South’s atrocities were basically swept under the rug but the North’s atrocities were certainly talked about and put on display.
8. The footnotes were helpful for the most part; but saying Andrew Johnson turned his back on his heritage and calling the Emancipation Proclamation ‘propaganda’ sounded unprofessional, imho. Aside from wondering which part of his heritage Johnson turned his back on, I wouldn’t exactly call the EP propaganda.
Yes, it is true that it didn’t free all the slaves; however, it did basically mean that slaves in the South would be freed as the Union Army advanced (in fact, the EP was celebrated by many Black people), essentially told them they were under no obligation to remain loyal to their masters, and it did pave the way for black men to join the Union Army and become some of the best fighters a general whose name unfortunately escapes me ever saw.
9. Theologically speaking, it appears the author is of the dispensationalist view but after looking it up, I discovered that dispensationalism didn't reach America until after the Civil War.
****
Final thoughts:
I’ll concede that the South did have some points and that the North did have its fair share of wrongdoing, but that’s it. I cannot in good conscience bring myself to support the South’s reasoning nor can I agree that the North was solely responsible for starting the war.
BOTH sides were responsible. BOTH sides were right and wrong. You cannot pin all the blame on the North and ignore the South’s part and vice versa. That is a gross distortion of history.
As for recommending these books, I’m not sure I can do that either, if only because of how Black people, whether slave or free, are depicted. It’s one thing to depict how they were treated by others in that specific time period; it's another entirely how you yourself depict them as the person they are.
We who are Christians ought to portray our fellow human beings in a respectful manner, no matter the historical period we are writing about. It did not come across that way for me in these books, and for that reason, I cannot personally recommend them. I'm not sure I could give it any sort of star rating either.
If you still want to read them, go ahead. If you’d like more information that ventures into spoiler territory, just message me.
*That is, I can’t recollect that latter instance. Perhaps it is there and it flew over my head, which I wouldn’t doubt; I did read half of each book late into the night till my eyes glazed over…
Edit: Also, President Buchanan isn't mentioned either, despite the fact he had tried to send supplies to Fort Sumter (if I remember correctly, the secessionists forced the ship to go back) before his term as president ended. Plus, he opposed secession but also believed he couldn't do anything to stop it.
January 15, 2024
This series just keeps getting better. My only disappointment is that I just now realized the next book hasn’t been published yet. I am eagerly awaiting that day!
September 26, 2022
3 stars & 3/10 hearts. Not gonna lie, I was really scared to start this book! The Rivers of Sorrow really tore my heart and got me very emotional, and I was afraid this book would as well. I was grateful to find that it didn’t (…maybe ‘cause I forgot who everybody was…). Some statements that characters make, & the attitude towards certain people, & some of the songs bothered me (I skipped most of the songs on purpose), and I feel like neither side is portrayed in a wholly fair or accurate way. But towards the end the book really made me think. The episode of the Davises’ adopted son really made me rethink some statements by Jefferson Davis that I’ve read. I also got a clearer idea of what the South was fighting for here, and though I still disagree with them—no one has been able to satisfactorily explain to me which side was in the right and which was in the wrong, but from what I’ve read and heard, I believe the North was morally in the right—but I can now honour them for the sacrifices they did for what they thought was right. It was very nice to meet old friends, and see them continue to grow and change (Constance Angelica has a new fan over here!!). I’m both eager for and dreading book 5…
2022 UPDATE: I need to reread this series to see what I think of it now, more mature and with stronger opinions. But here is a collective review of the whole series that sums up some of my issues with the books: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Favourite Quote: “‘It’s fellows like Spencer who can keep us going. Finding the everyday things in life to smile about even when the world is caving in around you.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Me and some others spotted the Union sailors and sounded the alarm. (You know, spring the rattle, ring the bell, yell at each other, light bonfires and, if you’re like me, pray to live to tell the tale because your friend is half asleep and tottering around with a flaming torch near the powder! Not very comforting!) … We had a log boom in front of the Albemarle for protection. Cushing and his men turned around. We thought they were retreating, so we let loose a wild Rebel Yell.
“‘Our joy was short lived though. Alas, they spun around and charged the boom at full speed. They got stuck on it and found themselves staring into the mouth of a cannon. Next thing I knew, there were two ear busting explosions. I jest not, I couldn’t hear for half an hour! War is not a healthy business.
“‘The fellows told me later that the Confederates ordered the yankees to surrender. Instead, they abandoned ship. With the Albemarle sinking fast (my torch toting friend pulled me to safety,) small boats were sent out…’”
*I received an ARC of this book from the author in return of my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my own opinions.*
2022 UPDATE: I need to reread this series to see what I think of it now, more mature and with stronger opinions. But here is a collective review of the whole series that sums up some of my issues with the books: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Favourite Quote: “‘It’s fellows like Spencer who can keep us going. Finding the everyday things in life to smile about even when the world is caving in around you.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Me and some others spotted the Union sailors and sounded the alarm. (You know, spring the rattle, ring the bell, yell at each other, light bonfires and, if you’re like me, pray to live to tell the tale because your friend is half asleep and tottering around with a flaming torch near the powder! Not very comforting!) … We had a log boom in front of the Albemarle for protection. Cushing and his men turned around. We thought they were retreating, so we let loose a wild Rebel Yell.
“‘Our joy was short lived though. Alas, they spun around and charged the boom at full speed. They got stuck on it and found themselves staring into the mouth of a cannon. Next thing I knew, there were two ear busting explosions. I jest not, I couldn’t hear for half an hour! War is not a healthy business.
“‘The fellows told me later that the Confederates ordered the yankees to surrender. Instead, they abandoned ship. With the Albemarle sinking fast (my torch toting friend pulled me to safety,) small boats were sent out…’”
*I received an ARC of this book from the author in return of my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my own opinions.*
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews