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Jenkins: Confederate Blockade Runner
Jenkins: Confederate Blockade Runner, is based on the exciting life of adventurer, settler, and Confederate hero, C.T. Jenkins who rides with Newburne's Company of Mounted Rifles and defies the blockade of The South during the Civil War. Born into a prominent Baltimore family in 1811, Jenkins challenges his father's wishes that he continue the Baltimore family enterprise, making a dash for independence. He finds the independence he seeks, riding with Newburne's Company of Mounted Rifles and serving in Florida's 4th Infantry during the Civil War. But his life of adventure comes at an expensive trade off - the severing of all ties with his father and brothers. A mid-life encounter with Vermont's Lucy Colburn, his intellectual and emotional equal, prompts C.T. to reconsider the hurt and damage abandoning his Baltimore family may have caused. He gravitates toward Mrs. Colburn, with only one reservation: widowed, she is ten years his senior. But, she has an ingénue daughter, Eliza, for whom Mrs. Colburn seeks a suitable match. Jenkins is being considered by Mrs. Colburn in what could become a December-May union between her daughter and Jenkins. However, the quiet beauty, Eliza, prefers the suave, but opportunistic, Taylor Babcock. The Civil War interrupts C.T.'s life as he is captured by Union forces off Florida's Gulf Coast for the crime of blockade running. Facing a life sentence to be served at Fort Warren prison, Jenkins realizes that to survive his ordeal he must face the challenge of realigning with his Baltimore family, thus gaining access to family resources. In prison Jenkins comes to terms with the real cost of his flight from Baltimore and grasps at one final chance at establishing the one thing missing in his life - family.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2010
1 person is currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Emily Hill
118 books49 followers2012 NaNoWriMo badge winner for "Ghosts of White Raven Estate" featuring 1853 New Orleans during the height of the hoodoo era and reign of Madame Laveau.
2020 NaNoWriMo badge winner for my COVID Quarantine project, "The Man Who Loved Too Much" a true love story (of sorts) featuring all the vagaries of narcissistic love.
~ ~ ~
Me:
A 25-year career in news media relations preceded my achievements as an author; which was highlighted by an Amazon 2011-12 (10-month) best seller for "The Ghost Chaser's Daughter".
I'm a fiction writer drawn to the dark side of life, whether it be skitterings behind the veil, or the stir of smoldering passions gone awry.
My literary influences include Gillian Flynn, Patricia Highsmith, and Margaret Atwood.
~*~ Thank you for visiting my author's page ~*~
2020 NaNoWriMo badge winner for my COVID Quarantine project, "The Man Who Loved Too Much" a true love story (of sorts) featuring all the vagaries of narcissistic love.
~ ~ ~
Me:
A 25-year career in news media relations preceded my achievements as an author; which was highlighted by an Amazon 2011-12 (10-month) best seller for "The Ghost Chaser's Daughter".
I'm a fiction writer drawn to the dark side of life, whether it be skitterings behind the veil, or the stir of smoldering passions gone awry.
My literary influences include Gillian Flynn, Patricia Highsmith, and Margaret Atwood.
~*~ Thank you for visiting my author's page ~*~
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 7, 2011
Emily Hill’s first novel, Jenkins: Confederate Blockade Runner, published by A.V. Harrison Publishing and released February 6, 2011, was sparked by a family Civil War album left to her by her Aunt Cordelia. She spent 15 years researching her family’s genealogy and then another two years penning the story of C.T. Jenkins.
Colonel C.T. Jenkins was Ms. Hill’s long lost uncle and a prolific writer. He left journal entries and letters to fuel Emily’s curiosity leading her to write the story of her Uncle Cyprian. He was born into a prominent Baltimore family in 1811 and, defying the wishes of his father to join in the family enterprises, left home after the Leonid meteor showers of 1833 to follow his own dreams of independence becoming an Indian scout, property owner, legislator, Civil War hero, prisoner of war, family man.
The author claims the story almost told itself but she’s being modest. Through the details and nuances of 19th century society, daily life and relationships you can detect the skills of an innate storyteller.
At midlife Jenkins, missing the family life he once spurned, enters into a December-May union. Living with his wife, Eliza, and their children on the coast of the secessionist state of Florida and a as member of the Confederate army, he becomes a blockade runner. When he is captured and taken North he must reach out to the relations he once spurned in order to survive prison life and return to his family who are struggling to survive in Florida.
Emily Hill is, not surprisingly, a Civil War historian, a admirer of the facets of the South and publisher besides being a feature writer and novelist. She is hard at work on her second novel, The Tailors of Baltimore: A Civil War Story, due out later this year. Visit her website for more information.
Review by Lynnette Phillips, Avid Book Reviews
Colonel C.T. Jenkins was Ms. Hill’s long lost uncle and a prolific writer. He left journal entries and letters to fuel Emily’s curiosity leading her to write the story of her Uncle Cyprian. He was born into a prominent Baltimore family in 1811 and, defying the wishes of his father to join in the family enterprises, left home after the Leonid meteor showers of 1833 to follow his own dreams of independence becoming an Indian scout, property owner, legislator, Civil War hero, prisoner of war, family man.
The author claims the story almost told itself but she’s being modest. Through the details and nuances of 19th century society, daily life and relationships you can detect the skills of an innate storyteller.
At midlife Jenkins, missing the family life he once spurned, enters into a December-May union. Living with his wife, Eliza, and their children on the coast of the secessionist state of Florida and a as member of the Confederate army, he becomes a blockade runner. When he is captured and taken North he must reach out to the relations he once spurned in order to survive prison life and return to his family who are struggling to survive in Florida.
Emily Hill is, not surprisingly, a Civil War historian, a admirer of the facets of the South and publisher besides being a feature writer and novelist. She is hard at work on her second novel, The Tailors of Baltimore: A Civil War Story, due out later this year. Visit her website for more information.
Review by Lynnette Phillips, Avid Book Reviews
March 2, 2011
How excited I was to win a 'Goodreads First Reads' Starting out with a wonderfully described setting of the 1800's. The many characters immediately came to life as I was eager to learn more about each one of them. I am someone who unfortunately 'judges a book by its cover' so didn't expect this book to be much more than an account of the grumpy man photographed on the cover. Was I wrong!
March 12, 2011
brilliant rendering of a unique plot- so well written and wonderfully entertaining as well as educational.
A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
Want to read
February 17, 2011Yea! A First Reads win! I love history, and I'm interested to see if this is a biography, or fiction based on a real person. Either way it sounded interesting.
February 11, 2011
An expansive historical landscape is portrayed in Ms. Hill's debut novel, 'Jenkins'. From the troop movement details, to the names of military commanders she has stayed true to historical fact. 'Jenkins' begins in early 1800s Baltimore as a family of obvious privilege stumbles in its attempts to overcome a series of tragedies which causes the protagonist to "dash into the pages of Confederate history" as Ms Hill describes it.
The portrayal of the struggle between native Americans and Indian scouts during the Seminole Wars is poignantly cast when, at last, one young Seminole comes face-to-face with the aging scout, Jenkins.
Jenkins decision to set out on his own as a youthful Baltimorean has begun to take its toll by the time he encounters the woman who will become his lifelong friend and mother-in-law. Ms. Hill has cast her female characters in realistic and challenging situations, undoubtedly true to the times. She uses the placard above the 'Gentleman's Reading Room" (The Patronage of Women is Not Sought) to show the not-so-subtle [and true to the times] attitude that limited the roles of women.
Character development is strong and dialogue is believable, and it's entertaining to be 'the fly on the wall' in a number of scenes (!)
Painting the Civil War, its causes, and how a community reacted to political sanctions and deprivations were masterfully handled. Once again, the scenes and military movements were portrayed with historic accuracy. The love letters and family correspondence between C.T. Jenkins and his wife; and family while he is imprisoned convincingly show the character transformation that Jenkins would have gone through as a prisoner of war at Fort Warren.
The authors references show a fair amount of research, resulting in a well-written, very enjoyable read.
The portrayal of the struggle between native Americans and Indian scouts during the Seminole Wars is poignantly cast when, at last, one young Seminole comes face-to-face with the aging scout, Jenkins.
Jenkins decision to set out on his own as a youthful Baltimorean has begun to take its toll by the time he encounters the woman who will become his lifelong friend and mother-in-law. Ms. Hill has cast her female characters in realistic and challenging situations, undoubtedly true to the times. She uses the placard above the 'Gentleman's Reading Room" (The Patronage of Women is Not Sought) to show the not-so-subtle [and true to the times] attitude that limited the roles of women.
Character development is strong and dialogue is believable, and it's entertaining to be 'the fly on the wall' in a number of scenes (!)
Painting the Civil War, its causes, and how a community reacted to political sanctions and deprivations were masterfully handled. Once again, the scenes and military movements were portrayed with historic accuracy. The love letters and family correspondence between C.T. Jenkins and his wife; and family while he is imprisoned convincingly show the character transformation that Jenkins would have gone through as a prisoner of war at Fort Warren.
The authors references show a fair amount of research, resulting in a well-written, very enjoyable read.
April 11, 2011
Jenkins, Confederate Blockade Runner. by Emily Hill
Realtors, or anyone else familiar with property transactions knows the Golden Rule is; "Location, Location, Location."
Authors, especially those who write novels of historical significance will tell you that the Golden Rule is; Research, Research, Research. Emily Hill understands the Golden Rule and has perservered. Fifteen years of painstaking research on the family lineage of Jenkins and the literary community has a readable time machine that transports it's participants to another time and place in American history...Great Job Emily.
Johnny Flora
Realtors, or anyone else familiar with property transactions knows the Golden Rule is; "Location, Location, Location."
Authors, especially those who write novels of historical significance will tell you that the Golden Rule is; Research, Research, Research. Emily Hill understands the Golden Rule and has perservered. Fifteen years of painstaking research on the family lineage of Jenkins and the literary community has a readable time machine that transports it's participants to another time and place in American history...Great Job Emily.
Johnny Flora
February 10, 2011
Pitiful! There is no hook to draw me into this book; nothing to entice me to keep reading. No plot unless a fanciful description of an uppercrust family is supposed to entice the reader. The last couple of chapters are the best. The historical reference citations at the back of the book do not conform to any standard format for citing source material.
August 3, 2014
Really love this book, I am a huge history buff and it is right up there with all the history information that I love to gather. The author is a wonderful person, and I had the opportunity to meet her in Inverness Florida when she was doing her research and found her to be quite good company. Looking forward to getting the rest of her books.
October 5, 2012
Sort of slow in places but seemed historically accurate. Thought it would have more of the blockade but was actually very family intensive. That was done well but not what I expected. Still would recommend it to Civil War buffs.
April 19, 2011
Fascinating and real, especially the battle scenes. Was Emily there when it happened? A real page turner.
September 7, 2011
This book takes place during the Civil War. I found the story interesting and was especially drawn to the family element.
January 6, 2013
Hardly anything about the actual blockading itself but still historically interesting.
March 13, 2012
An all-around really good read, and evocative of the times.
Want to read
February 15, 2016320pgs, true account during the Civil War
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews