The Widow of the South

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
First Printing: 2005 by Warner Books
Book Design by L&G McRee, Frontispiece map by Leo McRee

Fun Fact: This book smells like cat pee.
Another Fun Fact: I do not have a cat.

The only good thing about a sick day is getting to read with no interruptions. For my day home with a stomach bug, The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks was my constant companion.

 It's 1894, and Carrie McGavock is patrolling her graveyard. Thirty years previous, after the bloody Battle of Franklin, many soldiers were left to rot in the fields. When the neighbors wanted to plow over the bodies, she had them brought to her own plantation and erected a private cemetery on her property. On one of her daily strolls between the headstones, a man appears out of the mist. She recognizes him at once with his shambling gate and piercing green eyes. This is Zachariah Cashwell,  a man she helped nurse back to health- a man she had fallen in love with.

When The Battle of Franklin was fought in 1864, The McGavock's Carnton plantation was turned into a hospital for the wounded Confederate soldiers. At the time, Carrie was suffering from a deep depression after the loss of three of her young children. No one, not even her husband could coax her out of her despair. But when the war spilled into her home, she was forced to rise from her rocking chair to tend the wounded. That was when she met Zachariah, the man who was so ready to accept his imminent death. She makes the choice to save him whether he likes it or not, a choice that will bind them together forever.

Carrie McGavock and her husband John.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5
This book gave such a vivid telling of Carrie McGavock and Carnton plantation, it has me wanting to take a trip to Tennessee to visit the place in person. The book gave me the desire to learn more about this battle and the people involved, and you know I love a book that makes me want to learn more! Unfortunately, Robert Hicks did have to tweak some of the facts for this book, but it was for the sake of accommodating the fictional character of Zachariah into the lives of very real people. Other than that, I have no complaints with this book. Robert Hicks succeeded in bringing a relatively small part of the Civil War to the forefront, and he gave these people who are long gone a voice to tell their story.

Favorite Quote: "We were a new country, that was certainly true. A new country of old men and angry, stubborn men. There were moments when I could look out from our carriage and think that there wasn't anything this country couldn't become, which was not at all a comforting thought."- Carrie McGavock, page 302

The Widow of the South is available in both physical and digital copies from all major booksellers, including  Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
First Printing: 1998 by Bloomsbury
Cover and Interior Art by Mary Grandprè

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not read this review if you haven't read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!

The last few weeks have been a little rough for me. I won't go into details, but I've been the kind of stressed out that makes me want to lay around in pajamas all day and eat nothing but heaping spoonfuls of nutella.

Some of my fictional friends are having a rough time of it too. Let's start with Mr. Harry Potter.

In my last post I reviewed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Today we move onto the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

After a grueling summer with the Dursleys, Harry is dying to go back to Hogwarts. But a few weeks before he is to return, an unexpected guest appears in his bedroom. Dobby the house elf, a small creature with bulbous eyes and bat-like ears, has come to give Harry a warning:

"Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger." (page 16)

But Harry cannot bear the thought of staying with the Dursleys any longer, so he dismisses Dobby's warning. After being at school for only a few short weeks, things take a dark turn at Hogwarts. A bloody message in an empty corridor warns that The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. The Chamber of Secrets is rumored to be a remnant of one of the school founders, Salazar Slytherin.  Soon after, students begin turning to stone, and suspicion spreads throughout the school. Harry is not immune to the gossip among the students, and soon people are accusing him of being Slytherin's heir. Harry must find out who opened the chamber and released the monster within before Hogwarts is closed forever.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5
I think it's pretty clear that I'm in love with this series. I think these books are solid proof that you can miss places you've never been to and people you've never met. It's from this book on that Harry starts to realize that his defeat of the dark wizard Voldemort has made people suspect some sleeping darkness within himself. He begins to doubt everything he is, and those emotions are so true and so human that you can't help but feel his pain along with him. I think that is why these books are so important to me. Regardless of  the magic, these people feel so real and their struggles are relatable. I think there is no better way to conclude this than to wrap up with my favorite quote:

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Professor Dumbledore, page 332

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is available in both physical and digital copies from all major booksellers, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
First Printing: 1996 by Bloomsbury (UK)
Cover and Interior Art by Mary Grandpré

I've had the kind of weekend that I wish could last just a little while longer. Our city is shut down from the record-breaking winter weather. While the snow can be a nuisance, it has been nice to be home. I've had my first proper snow day in a long time- throwing snowballs for the dog and eating all kinds of junk food in front of the fire. And of course, I've been reading.

The world of Harry Potter is proof that you can miss a place without ever having been there. I get homesick for these books. These stories are so detailed that I'm still discovering new things each time I read them. I dive back into them every year, and I always enjoy the trip.

Harry Potter is an orphan living with his Aunt and Uncle. Since being left on their doorstep when he was a baby, Petunia and Vernon Dursley have mistreated Harry. He is made to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs and is only given the most basic of things to live off of. His cousin, Dudley, beats him up and humiliates him constantly. Harry grows used to their ill treatment of him, but he wonders why they hate him so much. Even more peculiar than their hate for him is their refusal to answer questions about his deceased parents. One morning as the family is sitting down to breakfast, a letter arrives addressed to Harry. As soon as Harry tries to open the thick parchment envelope, Uncle Vernon snatches it from him and throws him from the room. Who could be writing to him? He has no friends, no remaining family. Letters continue to arrive, and when they go unanswered a messenger is sent in person. When Harry finally tears open his letter, he finds this:

"Dear Mr. Potter,
   We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

Harry Potter is far more special than he ever dreamed he could be. But even in the wizarding world, something extraordinary will set him apart.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5
Did you expect anything less? But honestly, this is not so much a review but to pay homage to the books that bring us home. I will always remember the time I first read this book. I sneaked it in small doses as my parents thought I was too young for it. It gave me a thrill to read that battered library book by flashlight at night, and that spirit of pushing the limits of what I will read has been with me ever since. I hope these books have instilled that same spirit in many children, and I salute J. K. Rowling for conjuring it up in me.

Favorite Quote:

 "But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them." ( page 179)

All children, regardless of your age, enjoy the weather!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is available in both digital and physical copies from all booksellers, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon.