I was granted access to the digital review copy of Sisters of Shiloh in Edelweiss by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

This is not the first work of historical fiction about women serving in the Civil War but it has the twist of two sisters joining forces to write riveting war scenes about two sisters, disguised as men and joining the Confederacy.

Libby, the younger sister, recently widowed, vows revenge for the death of her husband, Arden. Josephine, believing that she must protect her sister at all cost, reluctantly joins her in enlisting in the Confederacy as "Thomas and Joseph".

The Beale sisters endure eight months of hell in the Stonewall Brigade and the descriptions of the war itself place you on the battlefield with them. Libby/Thomas is obsessed with the loss of Arden and relives scenes from their short marriage over and over in her mind. Eventually those memories slips into madness with her ghostly, Arden, directing her revenge for his death. She, in effect, becomes Arden in manner and speech.

Josephine/Joseph sees her sole role in the war as protecting Libby/Thomas from herself and the dangers of war. She secretly tries to stay true to herself as a woman while outwardly projecting the manly image necessary to remain disguised.
To fail at the subterfuge would cost her the close relationship with her sister.

The battle scenes are very descriptive. It seems somewhat impossible that the two sisters can live so close to the bloodshed yet despite their inept battle skills emerge unharmed. Like a tornado that rips through a neighborhood mysteriously bypassing some homes there must be instances of blind luck in war.

Josephine/Joseph feeling isolated and emotionally alone in battles not of her choosing finds a friend in a fellow soldier. She finds herself falling in love with him and despairs that she can't reveal herself as woman to him.

As a librarian, I was drawn to the use of literature as a source of relief from the war by the Confederate soldiers. In this story, the five part English translation of the 1862 French novel, Les Miserables, seemed necessary to their mental health. For those readers wanting to know more about the importance of this work to both sides of the Civil War please Google the following: "In Camp, Reading ‘Les Miserables’" by Louis P. Masur.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to readers of historical fiction and women's issues.
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I can't believe I forgot to leave a review here! I read this one last spring, shortly after I received it. I fell in love with the beautiful cover! I wanted to read it because.....Civil War. That and because it sounded similar to I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe. As in that one, this one is a story about women who posed as men in order to fight in the Civil War. This time, there were sisters fighting together side by side. I enjoyed reading of their experiences and what they went through to keep their secret. There were sad happenings, or course, because this was war, but their bond as sisters was strong, as was their reason for fighting. I didn't always understand what was happening with Arden....was he a ghost? Was he really dead? But I enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who likes reading about the Civil War. ( )

Novels set in the time period of the Civil War are hit or miss with me, and this one was a hit! I'm sure Xe Sands narration skills helped the enjoyment for me as I find myself enjoying almost any book she is reading to me. I must say that I also find it interesting that two sisters wrote this book together, that happens to be about two sisters.

Libby and Josephine grew up in a good home with all their needs provided for. Libby has always been a gentle soul while Josephine seemed to handle some of the hardships of life better. When Libby's husband dies in a battle, Libby's grief pushes her mind to a scary place. Not only does she talk Josephine into the two of them disguising themselves as men to join the army, but she even acts like a man at times when it is not needed.

The lives of the two sisters take a dramatic turn after joining the army. They have to be secretive with all their actions, lest their secret is discovered. When Josephine finds herself becoming attracted to a fellow soldier, Libby finds herself getting angry with Josephine's carelessness. It comes down to Josephine making a decision and having to choose between her only sister or the only love she has experienced in her young life.

As I indicated earlier, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this novel. With themes of mental illness, familial obligations, and love, you may enjoy it as much as I did. I don't hesitate in recommending this novel for either personal leisure or as a book club discussion. ( )

Libby's life and sanity falls apart when her husband is killed in the Battle of Sharpsburg. Her sister Josephine's falls apart when she joins the Confederate Army to protect her sister Libby. Disguised as male cousins, they march across the countryside...Libby determined to kill 21 soldiers to avenge her fallen husband, Josephine to protect her sister. Along the way, these sisters and soldiers will discover the atrocities of war, the joys and sorrows of humanity, and the bond of everlasting love.

This was a very good book that brought a female perspective of war, love, and family and makes one realize that war is not only fought on the battlefield, but in the mind and the heart as well. ( )

*I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*

A tale of two sisters who join the Confederate Army, Libby to avenge her husband's death and Josephine to protect Libby from her own grief. Careless to the danger to herself, Libby is determined to kill a Yankee for every year of her husband's life, and Josephine is desperate to stop her sister from this self-destructive path. An enjoyable read, although not always plausible - I thought Josephine's romance with Wesley was unlikely, but still worth the time. ( )