1800s / Post-Civil
War America
American West
Set in the late 1860s, Never
Waste Tears is the story of Nathaniel Jacob Carter, a young man whose
desire it is to find peace after the war, a life with a woman he loves, and the
companionship of the friends he meets along the way. Dated April 12, 1861, the
story starts with the journal entry of a young ten-year-old Rebecca who expresses
wonder as to why her home town is so suddenly somber. Thirteen-year-old
Nathan’s journal entry follows with the description of how, on his birthday,
his family changes forever when his father and brothers leave to join the War
Between the States. Through the personal journal entries of these two
characters, Zachgo builds their relationship, and the relationships with their
families. The conflicts Rebecca faces and the reasons which compel Nathan to
leave his home behind soon become apparent, making the story of the young couple’s
journey deeply personal.
Soon after their marriage, Nathan
and Becca begin their adventures. They join a wagon train west with hopes of
homesteading land in the New Frontier. Initially, the young newlyweds set
Nebraska as their final destination, but after making a bonding friendship with
another young couple, Carl and Hannah, Nathan decides to head for the Kansas
territory instead. What awaits the young settlers turns Nathan’s life
inside out. Zachgo’s use of historical facts and descriptions of the everyday joys
and hardships faced by the pioneers adds to the realism of the time period and of
the settling of the United States, west of the Mississippi River.
Zachgo moves the story forward through the use of journal entries
of five different characters. Doing so provides a deeper understanding of the
personal lives of pioneers, and the emotional bonds they form in order to
survive. While the use of personal narrative through
the journal entries is an interesting method of moving a story forward, the technique
was initially confusing. The confusion was short-lived since it turned the
story into a page turner that prevented me from setting the book down for even
a moment.
Never Waste Tears is an interesting story
about the post-Civil War settlers who traveled west in search of a new life. Zachgo
does an excellent job developing characters that are true to the time period
and the settling of the post-Civil War American West.
© Cathy Smith
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Thank you for the review of my novel, Never Waste Tears.
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DeleteAnother wonderful award winning book! It is an interesting story about the west after the Civil War- worth reading if you are interested in American history.
ReplyDeleteThanks Discovering Diamonds for high-lighting another worthy indie book.
*smile* that's what we're here for!
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