I have a large collection of Civil War nonfiction books but just wasn't in the mood. So, I ended up reading Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green on my Kindle. It was probably featured in one of the newsletters I received. Based on real-life people and events, Green tells the story of two well-to-do Bostonian sisters who become nurses during the war. Charlotte Waverly is based on Georgeanna Woolsey, a nursing pioneer. Green's details were authentic and gripping: she captured the horrors and challenges of providing medical care on both on and off the front lines as well as the misogyny and condescension experienced by the early nurses. Green also highlighted the economic gaps in the North by including the fictionalized character of Ruby, a poor woman in New York who struggles when her husband joins the army.

Interestingly enough, i didn't realize until maybe a third of the way through that this was "Christian" fiction. A chaplain character was introduced and the characters began to quote scripture. But, considering the time frame, that didn't seem out of character. Eventually, it got a little more obvious with a message of redemption. My suspicions were confirmed by the Acknowledgements.

Even as I write this, I am not sure it matters although there was a subplot of a woman considering an abortion but it wasn't glaringly political. I guess it's a heads up or "trigger warning" as it is called today. That being said, I enjoyed it: well-written, historical fiction.

"Wedded to War" was a great historical novel showing the determination and courage of one woman to become a nurse during the American Civil War. Inspired by Georgeanna Woolsey, a real pioneer nurse in the Civil War, I really liked Charlotte. She was a New York socialite and was over thirty, putting her in the 'old maid' category. I thought she was a worthy protagonist who refused to be dictated by society's view of a woman's role in life, and it was interesting to learn what women had to endure and put up with just so they could nurse injured men, many only young boys.

I also enjoyed Ruby's story which was far more precarious than Charlotte's since she was an Irish immigrant living in the slums of New York and struggling to survive day-to-day, although near the end her story faded and was left unfinished. I would have liked her to have had a bigger role in the novel because her story was interesting. I thought she might make a reappearance in the second novel of this series but, after reading the blurb, I don't think she will.

Sadly, there was a love triangle which frustrated me but Callum and Phineas were complete opposites. While I detested Phineas, I thought Callum was a sweetie, especially the way he encouraged Charlotte to follow her dreams.

I do think "Wedded to War" became bogged down with historical detail at times which disrupted the flow and detracted from the main story. Instead of being woven throughout the novel, it was dumped upon the reader in big chunks. However, the author had certainly done extensive research before starting this novel. I just wish there had been a greater focus on Charlotte's nursing efforts.

While "Wedded to War" won't be added to my 'favourite historical reads' list, I was invested enough to try the second book in the series. ( )

If you are an historical fiction fan and have not read a novel by Jocelyn Green, then hurry up and remedy that situation! She is my go-to author for well-researched and beautifully written stories that capture the essence of the time period in which they are set. I must admit I hadn’t read her debut novel, Wedded to War, until recently. Boy was I missing a gem. It opened up a world I didn’t know about — medicine and nursing during the American Civil War. It also introduced me to characters I did not want to say good-bye to. This book is definitely a Very Highly Recommended read.

Inspired by real-life pioneers in modern nursing, Wedded to War has everything a fan of historical fiction could want — authentic details, historical figures interacting with credible and realistic fictional characters — plus the added bonus of an intriguing plot that includes suspense, adventure, and a bit of romance. I learned a lot about the deprivation the ill-equipped soldiers faced, and the daunting task of providing adequate care in the face of overwhelming numbers and the most rudimentary of techniques and treatment. The novel also depicts the very limited resources women of the time possessed. Above all Wedded to War is an excellent story with heart and soul. There are characters to love and some too despise. And without giving too much away, you will be very satisfied with the ending!

Wedded to War is the first in Green’s 4-book Heroines Behind The Lines series. It is not necessary to read them in order, but I would recommend doing so. You’ll have a better historical context that way. I have one left to read — Spy of Richmond. I can’t wait!

Very Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Wedded to War is easy to read, more like a young adult novel or historical romance, even though the subject can often be distasteful. The writing is workmanlike and based on a real life female pioneer in nursing and womens' rights. While some of the scenes are a bit melodramatic, overall the storyline is satisfying with a predictable ending. There were a few anachronisms which I forgave, as generally the battlefield, hospital and city scenes were well represented.

Had I known this was Christian fiction, I probably wouldn't have chosen to read it. However, except for the last quarter of the book, the faith and biblical references were totally in keeping with the timeframe of the book. ( )

This book was sent to me by Moody Publishers for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are my own.*

This book has a good story line and was very well written. Jocelyn Green was very good at capturing the emotions of the characters.

The story is about a young lady named Charlotte who grew up very wealthy and proper. However when the Civil War started she felt the urge to do something more for the soldiers who were doing so much for their country. She did the unthinkable thing in her mother’s eyes and became a nurse.

Now, I am sorry to say that I did not finish the book. There was quite a bit of impure and violent scenes from a sexual perspective that I did not care to read. As I said the overall story was great but with the repeating details from above, I do not recommend this story to really anyone under 18.

*My sister MaKenzie is to thank for this review, I had my hands full with some other books so I could not get to this one. Thank you MaKenzie! ( )