It has been a long time since I read a story that was so immersive everything around me faded into silence. Jocelyn Green has a talent in writing I could only wish to achieve, and few authors do. There is a richness in detail making this story come alive. You can practically feel the heat of the Georgia sun and the grime of travel between your toes. All without endless paragraphs of description. Jocelyn Green mastered the perfect balance on setting the scene while the story continues to move forward.
I started Reading A River Between Us on a Thursday night and finished it by noon the next day. I have always appreciated historical novels that aren’t time dramas but are rich in historical detail. A River Between Us is one such novel.
Historical Backdrop
In July of 1864 the Union army swarmed into Roswell. General Sherman ordered the workers, mostly women, to be charged with treason and shipped north with their children, elaborating, “I repeat my orders that you arrest all people, male and female, connected with those factories, no matter what the clamor, and let them foot it, under guard, to Marietta, whence I will send them by [railroad] cars, to the North. . . . The poor women will make a howl. Let them take along their children and clothing, providing they have a means of hauling or you can spare them.”
Of the nearly 600 civilians shipped north, 500 were women and children. Few women returned home after the war and this event was soon forgotten by many.
Synopsis
Cora Mae Stewart’s life changes in an instant when Sherman destroys the mill she works for and she is arrested for treason. Faced with enemies on both sides and impossible choices, Cora Mae must do what she must to keep her and her young charge safe in the midst of chaos.
Union Sergeant Ethan Howard believes his days are numbered. If he doesn’t die in battle, the black lung will be sure to claim him. In bitter irony, he finds someone who sparks the will to live…only he arrested her, dragging her away from her ailing mother.
Sergeant Howard is the last person Cora Mae wants to forgive, but her mother’s last words to her are full of truth she can’t deny.
My Thoughts
A River Between Us is a story of hope. A story of love. Of loving your enemies and those that speak ill of you. That loving those that hate you is difficult and doesn’t always give you the result you hoped for, but it does change your heart.
A River Between Us is masterfully written. Often books are either completely lacking in detail or so overly descriptive it’s painful. This novel brings the perfect balance. Jocelyn Green did an excellent job and has set the bar high for books on my 2024 reading list.
CONTENT
Violence– moderate. The brutalities of war are not shied away from, nor are they glamorized. Descriptions of war, the injured, amputations, all things expected in a Civil War novel.
Cursing– none
Sexual Content-It is made clear that woman and even children are raped and abused. This is historically accurate. But it is implied not described.
Spiritual Content– Moderate. Early in the story her mother tells her to love her enemies. This is the driving force behind much of the book.
Red Flag Rating– no red flags for either primary character.
This Old Nest 