Shortlisted for Book of the Month
AMAZON UK £3.04 £11.79
AMAZON US $4.02 $19.99
AMAZON CA $27.49
Family Drama /Military
1800s
American Civil War
1800s
American Civil War
Shortlisted for Book of the Month
I
think I am in love. With a cantankerous, opinionated, brave, intelligent man
named Palmer Harrold Wentworth III. Fortunately, we are of an age.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t exist, and even if he did, he’d have been long dead,
seeing as he was born 1805 or so. My infatuation with Mr Wentworth, or Harry as
his friends call him, is testament to what a fantastic job Ms Christie has done
in presenting her protagonist.
Blind Tribute is not an easy book to read. Set in the
United States during the Civil War, it is the story of Harry, born a Southerner
but since many years living in the north. As the spectre of civil war looms
ever closer, Harry initially refuses to take a stand, torn apart by his ancestral
ties to the South and his new family and life in Philadelphia. However, as
Harry is the chief editor of a newspaper, he cannot avoid the issue of
declaring his opinions forever. When the Confederate Army opens fire on Fort
Sumter the die is cast and Harry has to choose.
One
of the first casualties in any war is the truth. This is perhaps even more
valid during a civil war, when brother may end up fighting against brother,
both of them convinced they have truth on their side. Harry therefore decides
to dedicate himself to presenting the truth of the war, and to do so he returns
to Charleston, determined to be as close as possible to the unfolding events.
Obviously,
he does not receive the welcome of a prodigal son. His relationship to his
father soured over forty years ago and is not exactly improved by what
Wentworth senior perceives as Harry’s defection to the Yankees. While not about
to deliver any spoilers, let’s just say that Harry’s time in the south ends
most abruptly. I have still to recover from the intensity of those particular
chapters.
Harry’s
experiences in the south leave him a diminished man—in some ways. In others, he
grows, having to shed the man he was before the war to emerge another, wiser
man. But it is a painful journey of self-discovery Ms Christie subjects her protagonist
to, his losses piling up along the way.
That
Ms Christie has done extensive research is evident from the first page. In
particular, I am impressed by how well she presents the complexities of the
war, whether they be political or economic. The conflict as presented by Ms
Christie is not black and white, it is a multitude of hues of grey, with one
notable, very black, exception: slavery. Heart wrenching descriptions of slave
auctions, of the punishment inflicted on slaves, turn this reader’s stomach—and
Harry’s.
Blind Tribute is a long book with quite the cast of
well-developed characters, all the way from Harry to his utterly obnoxious wife.
At times, pace is slow but the hypnotic quality of Ms Richie’s flawless prose,
the way she paints detailed pictures of her settings, is addictive and I find
myself turning page after page after page, entirely submerged in the world of
Harry, whether it is the genteel salons of Philadelphia or the abandoned rooms
of an old plantation.
Ms
Christie has written a book that I will never forget. It has touched my heart,
my soul, my intellect, not something I experience all that often. Blind Tribute is, quite simply, the
best book I have read this year.
©
Anna Belfrage
There isn't a country which doesn't have a period in its history to be ashamed of, to be forgiven for, often trying to forget, but hopefully to learn from (if it only were so).
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Anna.
Oh, my! What a lovely review. Thank you for taking the time to consider the book so deeply. I am so glad to hear you are in love with Harry (though he would say, "Bah. Love is a ridiculous notion..."). I adore him, myself, but I recognize he isn't the easiest man in the world to love.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Mari
ReplyDeleteI would like to point out the review was written in 2017. So yes, it is the best book I read in 2017 - and I average like 3 books a week. I am glad Mari liked the review. I am utterly delighted I was given the joy & honour to read and review it. There: enough gushing for one day, methinks.
ReplyDeleteYou can gush about Harry all day. ;-) He will tell you how much he hates to hear it, while he presses his ear against the door to hear more.
DeleteIt means so much to me when my authorly peers love this book. I've been frustrated that so few of my really deep-thinking friends have read it yet, so not many people to discuss the nuances. It would be a great book club book, but first, seven people have to want to read it all at once. ;-)
An excellent review - the horror and ambiguities of Civil War makes a complete conflict of emotions and clear thinking. And, these are stories that must be told. I look forward to reading, although I know it will be difficult.
ReplyDelete