What a great choice A River Between Us was for my book club. We are Georgia-based, and this novel’s setting is Roswell during the Civil War. But the events described didn’t make our Georgia-born members’ history books. Jocelyn Green brings to light the destruction of the textile mills and the subsequent imprisonment of the mill workers of northern Georgia. Can you imagine being a young woman working 6 days a week in unhealthy conditions, earning scrip for purchases at the company store, only to find yourself labeled a traitor to the Union and sent far away from home and family? That’s exactly what happened to hundreds of mill workers, mostly women and children, when Sherman’s army marched into Roswell, Georgia. The novel presents this intriguing historical event and the rest of the war experiences in a balanced manner. No side came off as completely bad or good. There were Union sympathizers among those in the South, and there were Southerners who believed slavery was evil. There were horrific acts by both sets of armies.

We loved Cora Mae and Ethan, the main characters in the novel. What an unlikely pair — a captured mill worker and a Union officer! But they had more in common than they expected, especially their faith. And June, a child protected by Cora Mae, was a great addition to the cast of characters. We all loved her too! The romance element was measured — both characters were constrained by honor and duty. We weren’t sure how the happily-ever-after was going to be achieved, but were thrilled with the outcome.

The Civil War-era is troubling part of our nation’s history, and A River Between Us is an interesting and welcome addition to our historical fiction shelves.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook version from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

I loved this wonderful Civil War novel. I loved how strong Cora Mae is during her travails. I love that Ethan stays strong through the dangers that he faces. I loved the action and the romance in this story. I loved how emotional the story is. I could not put the book down. ( )

I’ve read quite a few books set during or close to the Civil War era over the years, but I think this one could quite possibly be one of my all-time favorites. I’m not quite sure what it is about this book—whether it’s just that it came at the perfect time for me, or if I was able to connect with the characters better than other books, or what it was, but I greatly enjoyed the story!

The history side of this book was fascinating. I was intrigued by the author’s note at the end, but even without that, I think I would have enjoyed the book just as much. I remember coming across the story of the Georgian millhands while I was in school, so it was interesting to see another perspective on their plight.

This book had just about everything I love in good fiction: Solid, relatable characters, a strong faith element, and some sweet romance. One of the things I loved the most was the way Cora Mae did her best to honor her mother’s advice, the commitments she made, and her realization that she had to live out her faith, not just say she believed it. This was a gripping, sweet, entertaining story, and though it had its harder moments, I found it a worthwhile, fun read. I can’t wait to see what else Jocelyn Green has up her sleeve!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it. ( )

A River Between Us is a journey to finding a future amidst the brokenness and loss at the end of the war-while Sherman ravages through Georgia. This book is truly a historical romance with an exceptional H in Sergeant Ethan Howard. Both H and h (Cora Mae Stewart) portray high moral standards in their honesty and care for others regardless of which side of the Civil War they were on.

Outlining the hardships and fears of the time, laced with hope for the future, I love how Jocelyn Green effortlessly weaves history into her fictional stories. I learned so much about the events in Roswell and Marietta, Georgia, factory-life, the surrounding war and the numerous wounded that were brought to that area for hospital care. This is a story that I will hold dear and reread in years to come.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review. I also preordered a print copy of this book since I enjoy this author so much. ( )