Widow of Gettysburg

Heroines Behind the Lines Series, Book 2

By: Jocelyn Green

Narrated by: Laura E. Richcreek

For all who have suffered great loss of heart, home, health or family; true home and genuine lasting love can be found.

When a horrific battle rips through Gettysburg, the farm of Union widow Liberty Holloway is disfigured into a Confederate field hospital, bringing her face to face with unspeakable suffering - and a Confederate scout who awakens her long dormant heart.

While Liberty's future crumbles as her home is destroyed, the past comes rushing back to Bella, a former slave and Liberty's hired help, when she finds herself surrounded by Southern soldiers, one of whom knows the secret that would place Liberty in danger if revealed.

In the wake of shattered homes and bodies, Liberty and Bella struggle to pick up the pieces the battle has left behind. Will Liberty be defined by the tragedy in her life, or will she find a way to triumph over it?

Inspired by first-person accounts from women who lived in Gettysburg during the battle and its aftermath, Widow of Gettysburg is Book 2 in the Heroines Behind the Lines series. These audiobooks do not need to be listened to in succession.

©2013 Jocelyn Green (P)2019 Jocelyn Green

Heartfelt Historical Fiction

Jocelyn Green has woven historical facts about the horrific battle of Gettysburg into the lives of a young widow, other women, doctors, and injured soldiers. The descriptions of the battle’s aftermath and deep emotions of the characters pulls the reader into the events. The reader feels like these are real people living in the midst of tragedy, just trying to survive.

In this book the author is able to turn the hatred, lies, prejudice, fear, pain and loneliness so many experienced during the Civil War into a story of the power of forgiveness, faith, hope and love.

The audio of of this book is done extremely well with the correct emotions, accents and pauses where appropriate. It was like sitting in a room having the characters relate their story to me.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire Heroines at War series and any others written by Jocelyn Green.

Powerful Story, Wonderful Narration

I read this book when it was first released and it became one of my all time favorites. I've always heard about wars during history class, but it never occurred to me the impact these had on the people who lived in the area. Jocelyn Green totally opened my eyes to a whole new perspective and truly brought history to life for me. Her use of actual letters and diaries reinforced the story she created, and her research must have taken forever. I was excited to see this become and Audible title and I couldn't wait to listen.

Laura Richcreek did an amazing job. Her pacing, array of voices, and even singing truly made this a masterpiece. I could hear the horror in her voice as she discussed severed limbs from wounded soldiers being discarded, and it was easy to imagine I was right in the midst of the sights and smells of post-battle Gettysburg.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels!

Mesmerizing historical fiction

I received a free copy of this audiobook thanks to the author. Opinions shared are mine.

This story brought history to life for me! My husband grew up near Gettysburg, so I’ve visited the area many times over the years. I will have a new perspective on the sites when we travel there again.

This book covers the days just before the battle all the way through November 1963. It’s quite a long book! I learned so much about the time period, slavery, and the aftermath of the battle. The story inspired at least a dozen Google searches!

Author Jocelyn Green’s trademark style makes this a standout. Descriptive and almost poetic, the story comes to life through her writing. It’s obvious that extensive research went into this book.

The audible narrator did a great job of pacing and using inflection. She used different voices and accents, and even sang a couple of songs! Sometimes the timing of pauses was a little off, making it hard to follow dialogue, but overall it was a great listening experience.

Excellent Civil War story

Excellent storytelling with an intricate plot and a cast of layered characters made The Widow of Gettysburg one that kept me enthralled. Liberty is an orphan and a widow when the bloodiest battle of the Civil War comes to her doorstep. Loyal to the Union, she is dismayed when her home is taken over to be a Confederate hospital and she is asked to tend men wearing the same uniforms as those who killed her husband. Jocelyn Green does and amazing job of highlighting the complications of the Civil War with multi-faceted characters who have to examine their faith, their loyalties, and their own pasts and prejudices.

Green weaves an intricate plot with the people affected by the battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath. Not only is the amount of research and details from history clearly evident, Green is a master at making both history and story leap from the page. With complicated characters, vivid scenery, an intricately woven plot, and her ability to stir the reader’s emotions, Green has crafted a phenomenal tale that highlights her exceptional writing and is one historical fiction fans simply can’t miss.

The narrator is excellent in this audio version. The range of voices makes each character distinct and the cast truly come alive. Well-paced and entertaining to listen to, this is the perfect story for the on-the-go reader.

Wonderful!

This book was already in my list of things to be re-read this year so when Jocelyn Green asked if anyone would listen and review the audio version, I jumped at the chance. I already knew the story was fantastic. A young woman living in Gettysburg was widowed in the early days of the Civil War. After figuring out how she would survive and setting out on that path, the Battle of Gettysburg takes place. We see her learn more about herself and what she might be capable of, despite the obstacles that are thrown in her path. The narrator was wonderful as well. Most narrators attempt to give each character their own sound/voice. Some do not do this well. Laura Richcreek did. Each character had their own sound so it was easy to distinguish who was having conversations when I had to put my earphones down and come back to it later. Wonderful overall experience.