From Publishers Weekly
A mother-daughter road trip forms the outline of Gable's debut, but the emphasis of this quietly moving novel is on the daughter's inner journey toward maturity. Eleven-year-old Katherine McConnell's passion for the American Civil War isn't surprising; she's been raised in Marietta, Ga., on stories of her ancestors' bravery during the war of northern aggression. So when, during the hot 1968 summer, Katherine's mother abruptly proposes the two of them take a trip up the East Coast to collect antiques for her latest business venture, Katherine plots out a route that will take them past as many battlefields as possible. Excited about setting foot into Yankee (read: enemy) territory, Katherine gradually comes to learn the truth behind their trip. Katherine's narration, enriched by vignettes in which the young Rebel recasts her problems as those of a Confederate general, is credibly naïve without seeming precious, while the Civil War narratives Katherine constructs add texture and weight, keeping this from becoming another maudlin child-narrated coming-of-age story.
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Review
"Meet eleven-year-old Katherine McConnell, a whip-smart and enchanting heroine whose imaginary life as a Civil War general helps her navigate her family's own troubled history and the unpredictable battlefield of adolescence. Gable's rendering of Kat is note-perfect, and she spins her journey with a deft mix of humor and pathos.
The Confederate General Rides North is vibrant, bighearted, and wholly original. I love this book and can't recommend it loudly enough." -- Joshilyn Jackson , bestselling author of
Gods in Alabama and
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming"
The Confederate General Rides North is the compelling story of Kat McConnell, an endearing young heroine who survives life on the road with her mother by retreating into her vast knowledge of Civil War history. She reenacts battles and imagines war-torn landscapes in a way that reflects her own life while also offering escape. Amanda Gable is a first-rate storyteller and her portrayal of Kat's psychological survival on this often harrowing journey is moving and memorable." -- Jill McCorkle , author of
Carolina Moon and
Creatures of Habit" I have just traveled the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg and Manassas with eleven-year-old Katherine McConnell, the precocious and tenderhearted heroine of
The Confederate General Rides North. What a trip it was! With beautiful writing and a plot that stampedes to its conclusion, author Amanda Gable poignantly navigates the bumpy roads of troubled families and the young girls who must endure them. Like the heroes who obsess her, Kat McConnell will take her place in your heart and memory." -- Betsy Carter, author of
Swim to Me and
The Puzzle King"This whimsical -- and impressive -- debut novel, with its fresh, original take on a difficult mother-daughter relationship, rings true in every word. Indeed, readers everywhere will love being drawn into Gable's -- and into Katherine's -- oh-so-original world." -- Rosemary Daniell, author of
Secrets of the Zona Rosa: How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change Women's Lives
