• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Mothering
    • Encouragement
    • Babies and Toddlers
    • Teens
    • Family Life
    • Favorite Toys
  • Hearth and Home
  • Wellness
    • Finding Joy
    • Personal Growth
    • Overcoming Hardships
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Main Dishes
    • Cookies
    • Desserts
    • Simple Celebrations
  • 40 Bags In 40 Days
  • Book Love
    • Historical Fiction
    • Memoirs
    • Children’s Books
    • Other Favorites
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Clover Lane

Home » Blog » Great Historical Fiction Books From The Civil War Era

Great Historical Fiction Books From The Civil War Era

by Sarah Turner Clover Lane

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Print

If you have been reading awhile you know one of my favorite hobbies is to read and my favorite genres is historical fiction. I can’t get enough of good historical fiction and I really think for some of us empaths, the best way we learn is through emotional connection. I might not remember dates and places in history, but if I can imagine how someone felt, imagine what their daily life was like, through a story, it becomes fascinating to me. I have read so many historical fiction novels-here’s a quick post about the great historical fiction books from the Civil War era that I’ve loved.

I am reading Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly (she also wrote the bestselling Lilac Girls that is WW2 historical fiction-so good!) right now and it is a heartbreaking but excellent book about two women in the South-one a well-off young white woman who volunteers as a nurse, and another woman, a young black slave on a plantation, suffering terribly at the hands of the cruel owner and abusive overseer. I anticipate their paths colliding, and in a small way, through a business card given in desperation, that gives hope when it is needed most, they already have.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom is another great historical fiction books from the Civil War era. I loved this book! On a tobacco plantation at the turn of the 19th century, the story centers around Lavinia, a young girl who is orphaned during her passage to America from Ireland, who becomes an indentured servant on the plantation. She is assigned to the kitchen house to assist Belle, a slave who is also the illegitimate daughter of the plantation’s owner. Lavinia is torn between the slaves who become her family, and the owner and his family who live in the big house. This is one of the books that you can’t stop thinking about after you read it-the story stays with you.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier is another of my favorite civil war historical fiction books. Originally I brushed this off as a “boys book” – after all the main character is Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier, who walks out of a hospital and makes a dangerous precarious and sometimes violent journey back home to Cold Mountain and Ada the woman he is love with. His journey home is basically the story, but I could not put this book down. Meanwhile we learn of Ada’s attempt at survival on her farm with a friend Ruby who is much more practiced in the art of survival and farming. Charles Frazier is one of those author’s that is ultra-talented and you wonder how his mind works-so beautiful descriptive and emotional and just an amazing amount of gifted writing.

For more of my favorites, you can look here-I am working at getting more organized for my book lists-I know how difficult it can be to find good captivating books and really want to compile great lists.

Also-I always get asked how I find time to read. I stay off my phone as much as I can, I use this rechargeable book light at night (I bought these for all my kids for Christmas and they all use them and love them), and yes I do fall asleep when I read. When I wake up at 3 a.m. because after 45 it seem we all do, I read. When I know I need to relax in the afternoon, I read. I have realized I NEED to dedicate time for it, or it won’t happen, and sometimes I go through dry periods of not finding good books, I’ve been much more purposeful about making sure I have a stack.

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Print

May 18, 2021 · 11 Comments

Follow by Email

Previous Post: « How To Keep Them Busy At Home-Our Favorite Summer Toys And Activities
Next Post: Easy Summer Enrichment Ideas For Kids »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Annie says

    May 19, 2021 at 6:02 am

    You may love Tracy Chevalier’s books : https://www.tchevalier.com/my-novels

    Reply
    • Sarah Turner says

      May 21, 2021 at 8:26 am

      I do love them!

      Reply
  2. Stacey S says

    May 19, 2021 at 7:11 am

    Hi! Thank you for your review on these books. What age range would you say these are for?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Sarah Turner says

      May 21, 2021 at 8:26 am

      Definitely adults. Lots of really hard things.

      Reply
  3. Kelly says

    May 19, 2021 at 8:09 am

    I just finished “The Storyteller’s Secret”. It is about 3 generations of an Indian Family. It was SO capitulating that I couldn’t put it down. I read it in a few days.

    Reply
    • Sarah Turner says

      May 21, 2021 at 8:25 am

      I LOVED it!

      Reply
  4. Kimberly says

    May 20, 2021 at 10:42 am

    Did you know there is a second book to The Kitchen House? Loved that book, too!

    Reply
    • Sarah Turner says

      May 21, 2021 at 8:25 am

      I saw that! I don’t remember if I read it or not-I’ll have to read more about it. Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  5. Michelle says

    May 21, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    I loved “The Kitchen House” and “Cold Mountain” both; curious if they’d “hold-up” to another read … Thanks Sarah. xo

    Reply
  6. Lisa says

    May 22, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    Great books! Have you read The Indigo Girl? Takes place in the 1700s but it is a fabulous book if you like historical fiction! I loved it.

    Reply
    • Sarah Turner says

      June 1, 2021 at 11:49 am

      I have that on my list!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Welcome to Clover Lane. I write about my love of motherhood, ordinary days, and simple living.  You can learn more about me here.

Follow by Email

21 years of our best-loved, most-used quality toys!

Topics

Archives

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

Clover Lane is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Read my disclosure.

Favorite Books

Favorite Children’s Books

Favorite Parenting Books

Amazon Native Ads

Clothing Ad

Amazon Kids

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Disclosure

Copyright © 2022 · Memories on Clover Lane · All Rights Reserved
Please do not duplicate anything on this blog without written permission from the author.
Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links used.