By Kelly Bridgewater
In wars eighty
years apart, two young women living on the same Appalachian estate determine to
aid soldiers dear to them and fight for justice, no matter the cost.
1944. When a violent storm rips through the
Belvidere attic in No Creek, North Carolina, exposing a hidden room and trunk
long forgotten, secrets dating back to the Civil War are revealed. Celia Percy,
whose family lives and works in the home, suspects the truth could transform
the future for her friend Marshall, now fighting overseas, whose ancestors were
once enslaved by the Belvidere family. When Marshall’s Army friend, Joe,
returns to No Creek with shocking news for Marshall’s family, Celia determines
to right a long-standing wrong, whether or not the town is ready for it.
1861. After her mother’s death, Minnie Belvidere
works desperately to keep her household running and her family together as
North Carolina secedes. Her beloved older brother clings to his Union
loyalties, despite grave danger, while her hotheaded younger brother entangles
himself and the family’s finances within the Confederacy. As the country and
her own home are torn in two, Minnie risks her life and her future in a
desperate fight to gain liberty and land for those her parents intended to
free, before it’s too late.
My
Thoughts:
A
Hundred Crickets Singing is a standalone novel, but I
highly recommend readers reader the first book Night Bird Calling, so the back stories that are hinted at are
familiar and help tightening the elements during the Civil War era. Right away,
it was nice to see Celia again. She is a returning character, but she is not a
little girl anymore. She has grown into quite a young lady. I love her as a
character. She is strong, forceful and stands up for what is right no matter
what others think or might do to her. Reminds me a lot of me. I do like how
readers will see her compose letters to Joe, a friend of Marshall, while he is
serving overseas during World War II. I do enjoy the peeks into the letters in
the story. They deepen the story, not subtract from the overall action. There
is some romance in the present story line too. Of course, this did happen
during World War II. On the other hand, the Civil War era story really gripped
my heart. I agree with Minnie, her father, and her older brother Elliot. I
really hated her younger brother, Grayson. I wanted to see him get his just
rewards. He was a spiteful character filled with plenty of hate and anger. I do
enjoy how Gohlke tied the two stories together nicely and had me happy in the
end. Overall, I am not a fan of Civil War era stories, but Gohlke does a
wonderful job at the story that I forgot I was reading a part Civil War story.
I highly recommend everyone read this story.
I received a complimentary copy of A Hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy
Gohlke from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase A Hundred Crickets Singing
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