Review: Bittersweet and timeless romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2013
Charity and Mitchell's love can be felt from the moment he arrives wounded on the dusty road to Chickamauga Creek. She waits and watches from her gate, asking every soldier who passes if they knew her husband. His arrival seems nothing short of miraculous. Even if it is only one night, as per his commander's orders, since battle waits in the morning. Or could it be something more?They share a glorious day together. There is something so natural and effortless about the way they commune, like soul mates bound by spirit and something deeper than their many years together, the boys they have raised together, the longing for one another which war and separation have denied them. Their day of celebration seems all too short for two who have not seen one another since two years prior.This love story caught me by surprise. At times thrilling and by turns breath stealing, every page drew my emotional investment. The writing is simple and unembellished, with a winsome and fresh voice. It captured the nostalgia of a very sentimental age, reminiscent of the famed Sullivan Ballou letter. Lovingly rendered, it is one of the best Civil War portrayals I have read since Charles Frasier's Cold Mountain.For the consummate Civil War aficionado or for lovers of wartime romance, this short story is a must have for every collection.