Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

When I was in high school, I had the chance to visit Nashville, TN and the surrounding areas. One of those surrounding areas was a sleepy little town called Franklin. I would soon learn how this little town was right in the middle of a bloody battle of the Civil War. My family and I decided to visit a place called 'Carnton'. I will post about my trip to Carnton as it is my favorite to date-I just need to dig up the pictures I took. The story of Carnton is amazing! Basically, Carnton was used as a field hospital during the battle of Franklin. Carrie McGavock was the lady of the home and oversaw the care of the soldiers. She created a private cemetery in her own backyard, doing her best to name each of the soldiers. She also organized them by state. She took great pride in caring for the soldiers who came through her home. I loved my visit to Carnton so much that my parents gave me a book called, The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. It is my absolute favorite book! The story is about the battle of Franklin and the goings-on at Carnton while it was used as a field hospital. Obviously, this is historical fiction so not all aspects of the story are true, but I loved it just the same. I have read it twice now and am looking forward to reading it again sometime. This story gives you a good idea of what it might have been like during the battle of Franklin. Robert Hicks is a beautiful writer and I am in the middle of reading another of his books, A Separate Country. This story follows General John Bell Hood post Civil War. I will post about it when I finish it! I highly recommend reading The Widow of the South as it is a beautiful tale. 

*Check out Robert Hicks' website to learn more about The Widow of the South and A Separate Country, as well as more about the author. 

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