Long Shadows: A Novel

by Abigail Cutter

Tom Smiley signed up as a private in the Confederate army when he was eighteen and quickly came to regret it. Spending the last year of the war in a Union prison scarred him so deeply that even death hasn't brought freedom from its memory. A ghost in his deserted childhood home, he can’t forget the bloody war and its meaningless losses, or shed his revulsion for his role in the Confederate defense of slavery. But when a young couple moves in and makes his home their own in the early 21st century, trouble erupts—and Tom is forced to not only face his own terrible secret but also come to grips with his family’s hidden wartime history. He finds an unexpected ally in his house’s new owner, Phoebe Hunter, who is both fascinated and frightened by his ghostly presence—and whose discoveries will have momentous consequences for them both.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Fiction, Historical

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2022

Reviews

[Book.ishJulie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What did I know about the American Civil War before starting Long Shadows by Abigail Cutter? Nothing, and it was honestly only recently that I understood the meaning behind the term “civil war.” As a Canadian, I’m not sure if this war was taught in history class, or if history just wasn’t something I paid attention to in school – but I now have a penchant for historical fiction, and enjoy learning about the past.

This story unfolds before us so beautifully. There is Tom Smiley as a self-tortured ghost, haunting a couple that are renovating Tom’s home; there are Tom’s memories of signing up to fight for the Confederate army, the American Civil War and of Union prison; we also get a glimpse into civilian life with letters from Tom’s sister, Mary. Every new perspective added an additional layer to this heartbreaking story.

So many times I had to remind myself that this book is a novel, and not a memoir. It is written with such detail and expertise that it’s hard not to get lost in Tom’s despair and heartache as the Civil War continues to rage on. Other times, I had to remind myself that these horrors did occur, and this is not a fictional war; how could humans have done so many unthinkable things to one another throughout history?

After reading information on Cutter’s website, I found more information on what drew her to research and write this story. Much of it is based on her own experiences, and the life of Tom, her husband’s great-grandfather. I always feel a novel is richer when the author has personal attachment to it.

A novel that makes the reader question faith, morals and the afterlife, is a book that I want to read; this is that book.

Thank you Book Sparks for the complimentary copy to read and review.

[Ellen Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you all day, even when you are not reading it, and long after you are finished.

I don’t usually write book reviews, and I will leave the summaries and real reviews to authors and the folks on Goodreads. But I felt compelled to say a few words on this one. I am a picky reader and have a tough time sticking with books that I don’t like. There was no chance of abandonment on this one. The characters are vivid and join your day-to-day life. Abigail’s writing is such a joy and remarkable journey to be on, that it makes reading even an intense war scene enjoyable. Can that be? At any rate, if you are a fan of the writing of someone like Anthony Doerr, you will just love this book.

Here’s the other thing; I struggled with history when I was young. I grew up in Virginia and managed to get out of there knowing NOTHING about the Civil War. (I’m the only human that can say that …and I’m not proud of that). In adulthood I found that reading historical fiction was a way I could absorb and enjoy history. But most historical fiction is really coming from one side, or point of view. I don’t know how she did it, but Abigail managed to cover the views and leave you empathetic of the North, the South and the slave’s point of view. It’s truly a remarkable piece of work. I’m biased as a woman, but I feel like that is something only a woman could possibly do. Maybe it’s something only this woman can do.

Looking at life from all these points of views, with empathy, is not just important for understanding a war hundreds of years ago, but for understanding our modern moment today politically and culturally. It’s important to open our awareness for our relationships, and our society. And its a great story and beautiful writing. Have I mentioned the beautiful writing?

You need to read Long Shadows. Whoever you are.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written narrative. The story of a Confederate soldier and the toll of war on one man and generations to come.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew a ghost story could be comforting

[Samantha Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4/5⭐

Decent book overall, elegantly written, and apparently well researched. Had some pacing, character writing, and theme presentation issues, however.

I think we needed more Pheobe in the story to really feel how Tom grew fond of her and make their bond and Tom's departure more impactful on the reader. The description made it seem like she would have a larger presence in the novel and she was pushed back to a set-dressing role. More interactions and bonding with Pheobe would have helped with Tom's relatability too. I liked Tom Smiley (protagonist), but I didn't love him. I never really felt like I knew Tom Smiley even though I spent the whole book with him.

I think some of the messaging was heavy-handed and not handled as well as it could have been. Unfortunately, the discussion of the themes of human rights and the self-reflection on the complicit nature of White people in the US in oppressing minority races--particularly Black people in this case--come across as cringe and a little half-baked. I feel like more time needed to be spent weaving those themes into the narrative. Felt too much like an afterthought.

I will say that the ending sequence with Tom's spirit disappearing into the ether was very well done. I thought having him go peacefully back into being part of the universe was lovely.

✌️📚

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review…Long Shadows by Abigail Cutter

Tom Smiley signed up as a private in the Confederate army and quickly came to regret it. Spending the last year of the war in a Union prison scarred him so deeply that even death hasn't brought freedom. A ghost in his deserted childhood home, he can’t forget the bloody war. But when a couple moves in and makes his home their own in the early 21st century, trouble erupts and Tom is forced to not only face his own terrible secret but also come to grips with his family’s hidden wartime history. He finds an unexpected ally in his house’s new owner, Phoebe Hunter, who is both fascinated and frightened by his ghostly presence and whose discoveries will have momentous consequences for them both.

I just finished this book! It took about 10 hours! I couldn't put it down! Abigail Cutter is an amazing storyteller! The details of the time period and the settings are vivid! I had no trouble picturing Tom's childhood home! The cover really does match the story perfectly! The characters are really and they were interesting to get to know. It's an emotional story, most books about war are so you get suffering, loss and the guilt but there's also hope, friendships, and redemption! The paranormal really added to the whole story! Overall it's a page turner that will capture many readers from the very first page!

Thank you Book Sparks and Abigail Cutter for sharing this wonderful book with me!

[Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read more than enough Civil War fiction and nonfiction, but at least this story--set very near where I live in Augusta County VA--was engaging. Told from the point of view of a ghost who is disturbed by the arrival of a couple who plan to modernize the house he's lived since he was a living child, I would have welcomed more interaction between him and the couple. Instead, we get lots of flashbacks of his experiences in the war as a soldier and a prisoner--flashbacks that are beautifully written.

The book does make the point of the immorality of slavery and the Confederate fight to preserve it, but maybe goes overboard on the atrocities of the Union soldiers toward their prisoners. More balance would have been welcome.

[Moodyy Readss · Rating 4 out of 5]

#SummerPopUp book, thank you @booksparks for my copy of along Shadows by #AbigailCutter

A book based on the raw telling of Civil War.

Told from the perspective of a ghost named Tom Smiley a private in the confederate Army, who is dealing with a family who’s moving into his house that he raised his family his wife Ellen, Grier, Argule, Will and Cara and one and only grandchild Helen.
Now he’s forced to faced the chilling family hidden history from the war that is being stirred by the new owners Phoebe

- if a wall can talk it will reveal all of these secrets!

I haven’t read much book on history and wars.

It was a very emotional with a paranormal twist.
🌟🌟🌟

[Aimee C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met this author on a boat in Key West a few years back and we had a discussion about ghosts and psychics. I was thrilled to see that she had written a book and pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
The book's first chapter is so incredibly beautiful to read..... and then it all goes down hill as you are brought into the horrible, shameful story of the Civil War. I grew up in Richmond, VA and thought I knew quite a bit about this war but I realize now that I knew very little.
Read the story because it is a great story but also read it for the historical knowledge and perspective you will gain. I am in shock that I ever drove down Monument Ave. in Richmond past the statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson without a thought.
Very well written and thought provoking. Can't wait for her next book.

[Dana K · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Phoebe and Harry inherit his family's farm they get a little more than they bargained for in the form of a ghost who believes the home is still his. Tom Smiley clearly has some unfinished business, we follow him on his journey to figure out what in his life may be holding him to the house. He begins to recount his life as a young man living peacefully on a farm in the 1860's as the Emancipation Proclamation occurs. His family are not slave owners and have no real stance on the war but we see how he is essentially dragged into it. He fights with passion to protect the boys around him but we see how little he cares for the message of the Confederacy and comes to hate it as he sees the true atrocities of war.

I know a book about the Civil War from a male's perspective may not sound like everyone's cup of tea but the story relies on letters written between Tom and his sister Mary where she recounts what is happening at home. The second half of the book relies more on Mary's experience and Phoebe's quest to free Tom's spirit.

This book took me a little longer to read than usual. The stark brutality of the starvation, the violence, the looting, each side fighting in the name of God and yet perpetrating such cruelty was hard to read. I don’t think that should dissuade anyone, especially Americans living in our current world from hearing the important messages in this story. How kind, hardworking Americans can be caught in a conflict that is not even theirs battling to protect ideals they don’t even believe in because their leaders told them to. Literally heart stopping.

Thanks to Booksparks for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating novel about a ghost's experience during life as a Confederate soldier fighting for something he didn't support....slavery.

[Brodie Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This U.S. Civil War novel unfolds a Confederate infantryman’s story within a boldly unique supernatural structure. Tom Smiley has been dead for generations but is trapped by his tormented memories in his long-abandoned Shenandoah Valley family farmhouse when a descendant and his wife arrive to begin renovations. Objects and letters are disturbed, stirring Tom’s recall, even though for decades he had done his “best to avoid recollecting the cruelest particulars of the circus of war and the whisper of Death’s wing.”

Powerful scenes ensue, portraying Tom’s descent from an ordinary teenage country boy who, with his friends, is swept up into provincial rebellion fervor. The boys deal with the squalor of a Civil War soldier’s existence and must face the terror and horrors of battle, and then endure the abject misery of a Union prison camp. Loyalties to his friends from home sustain Tom, but losses along the way are inevitable, leaving him to not only rue his failures, but also to anguish over the meaning of his actions. His emotional pain is palpable, and his anger grows as he reflects on the Southern elite who pushed him, his family, and friends into rebellion fueled by an unjustifiable cause to sustain the institution of slavery—and the devastating costs of war.

Tom’s journey towards absolution and eternal rest is both moving and well-researched period-perfect as the narrative explores the depths of his loyalties to those around him, and his convictions to the Southern way of life. An impressive debut by an author with deep links to the Virginia setting and subject.

Was this review helpful? I am an avid reader of historical fiction, and author. More of my reviews can be found at www.brodiecurtis.com

[Ddoddmccue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutter is a well deserved role model for pursuing her loves and launching her writing career after decades of other fulfilling professional paths. Bravo!

Now the novel. A Confederate soldier’s experiences combined with historic detail and a ghost, across over 150 years. The Civil War details highlight the evolution of an eager 17 year old to a more mature but emotionally damaged young adult. This follows well worn content with the exception of its over emphasis of the soldier’s prison experiences.

Less well developed but more unique is the interaction of the ghost soldier with a great grandson’s wife, seeking to create a weekend retreat in the soldier’s now forgotten home. This creative twist is unexpected and warrants more attention. Left to the reader’s imagination are an array of moral and ethical discussions by the ghost and contemporary renovation on still unresolved issues of the Civil War.

[ShanKL · Rating 3 out of 5]

#SummerPopUp book, "Long Shadows" by #AbigailCutter
Available July 12, 2022

Long Shadows brings the human and moral toll of the Civil War alive in a raw telling from a young man who fought in the Confederate Army. Now a ghost in the home where he raised his family, he must face the truths long hidden as new family has decided to make it there home in the present day.

This novel is well researched, and filled with tragedy from the battlefields. Candidly, I have not read a lot of historical fiction novels set during this period. While we understand the fight of this war, do we truly understand what was lost for those who fought.

Thank you partner @BookSparks #LongShadows

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book last night. I couldn't put it down. Abigail has an amazingly brilliant way to bring the human and moral complexities of the Civil War to us in a totally fresh, wise, powerful, and poetic way. I usually read non-fiction but this book is so well researched, it is like stepping into the real Civil War in all it's suffering, loss, guilt, blood, friendships, and redemption.

[Ann Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Cutter’s new book transports you back to the Civil War and into the future, pursuing how the brutal reckonings of that wretched conflict reach across generations to shape the present. “Long Shadows” delves deep to portray the physical and psychic damage of a cruel war in unflinching detail. Across generations, Cutter’s characters come to grips with the hate, love, fears and desires that still haunt our land and our country’s future.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I read this book is it was chosen by our neighborhood book club. This is not the kind of story that I enjoy. Too many graphic details about the atrocities war. I like to read for entertainment purposes and I find nothing entertaining about these types of graphic details. The ending was predictable and the main character's final realization was all a bit sudden. This book was not for me and I would not recommend it.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was kind of the spooky side and I loved the cover. It fit perfectly with the story I think. I love books about wars and history and with the addition of the paranormal this one was pretty perfect!

[Trudy]

I did not finish this book because after starting it, I realized Long Shadows was originally published under the title The Last of What I Am, which was well worth the read…but again not a ghost story as we know one. Please see my review for The Last of What I am.

[John S Pancake]

An exceptional book about the Civil War's haunting presence. It is the
well-told story of one disillusioned soldier and the price he paid.

[Sara Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely incredible read.

[Kim Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Kronk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immersive and flowing. Great story against the backdrop of American Civil War - and the gruesome, brutal treatment of countrymen. Enjoyed it.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Bowman Cutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful writing about the wastefullness and stupidity of war along the lines of "The things they carried" Also has a nice thread connecting the U.S. Civil War past to our present. And Ghosts, too.

[Susan Manch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical fiction that keeps you turning the page. A very creative approach to storytelling and dealing with tough issues. It's both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

[Diana Mielecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned new information about the Civil War, and I don't want to study war no more.

[Tim Amloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got drawn, in the first 10 pages. The clarity in writing down on paper the life of a Civil War, the life of a soldier in a war, the life of a ghost from ethereal now, a war accelerating today in contemporary discussion, a house from places and lived in by... . It's not just her kind of clarity. It's what ever it is that feels like literature. She has made something I've never seen and so far it is changing me. It's like a piece of paper was sticking to the ceiling and then one day floated down and she starts putting marks on it.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the story of a Confederate soldier, Tom Smiley, who has become a ghost that inhabits his childhood home. This home, in current days, is being renovated by a young couple and he isn't pleased about their presence or the changes that are going on around him. Only after he is confronted by one of the owners, Phoebe, does he discover what has kept him so closely bound to the home. With her help, he is able to shed his guilt and move on.

That said, despite this summary, it should be noted that this is really NOT a ghost story. Even though that's what is sold in the synopsis (and what I was hoping to find), it barely touched on the ghost/person relationship at all.

As it is now, the book reads more like a very well-researched historical fiction about the life of a civil war soldier. The accuracy in the depictions was spot on! However, it didn't blend much at all with the tales of an unhappy ghost. I would have liked the chapters to flow more back and forth between the past and present, but that only happened very sparsely and made the premise seem forgotten and incomplete.

The ending did wrap up nicely, though, and the writing style was superb. I feel like if it were reworked and integrated more completely to have really embodied the goals of the premise, it would have made for an interesting twist on an otherwise black and white piece of historical fiction.

[Sharon Gust · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to read. The horrors of the Civil War was graphic and the treatment of the prisoners was just as bad. I think the author did a decent job writing this from a dead soldier’s point of view.