Review: "Wedded to War" by Jocelyn Green

Reviewed by *Katie McCurdy for Legacy of a Writer

5/5 Stars

THE BOOK:

 When war erupted, she gave up a life of privilege for a life of significance.

Tending to the army's sick and wounded meant leading a life her mother does not understand and giving up a handsome and approved suitor. Yet Charlotte chooses a life of service over privilege, just as her childhood friend had done when he became a military doctor. She soon discovers that she's combatting more than just the rebellion by becoming a nurse. Will the two men who love her simply stand by and watch as she fights her own battles? Or will their desire for her wage war on her desire to serve God?

Wedded to War is a work of fiction, but the story is inspired by the true life of Civil War nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. Woolsey's letters and journals, written over 150 years ago, offer a thorough look of what pioneering nurses endured.

This is the first in the series "Heroines Behind the Lines: Civil War," a collection of novels that highlights the crucial contributions made by women during times of war.

MY REVIEW:

Okay, first off I just have to say that the War Between the States has intrigued and fascinated me ever since I discovered my love for history. That being said, pretty much any book that has an accurate view of the war I am bound to totally be enthralled with—both to learn new things about the war and to read historians that get the facts straight.

Jocelyn Green has done an outstanding job with Wedded to War! Better than I had expected, when I first began the book. While I am a southern girl at heart (Yay, Johnny Reb!), I was spellbound with this heart-wrenching view of how difficult it was for the Northern medical field during the war. The South had a lot of hardships during the war, but so did the North. And, really, Green never "took sides" or even got into the political aspects of the war—Wedded to War focused solely on the medical side of the war and women's (VERY!) hard role in becoming efficient nurses.

The romance wasn’t a major part of Wedded to War, but I honestly liked the book more because of that—it’s nice to take a break from reading heated romances and delve into history. And not to say that this book doesn’t have an ounce of romance—oh no! Charlotte has her fair share of courting troubles, a belligerent suitor, and one steadfast friend who has been with her through the hard times. There are a few scenes with adult content that might not be suitable for younger readers. A woman is raped in one scene, another scene where a woman sells her body to survive, as well as several references to prostitution in conversations. But in all of these, Green did a very good job at not getting too descriptive or detailed. I was impressed.

All in all, I really enjoyed Wedded to War. The ending came together quickly and, in my opinion, a bit too neatly. But that’d didn’t affect my whole, overall thoughts. I will be placing Wedded to War alongside my other favorite "Civil War Era" books. It was well written, had believable characters, and gave you such a vivid peak into the horrors of war…you will close the book thankful for modern advancements in medicine and hospitals. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series!

* I reviewed this book for the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. Thanks to the publishers, Bethany House, for sending me a review copy. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.