Customer Reviews

Honor & Glory (Civil War Trilogy)

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Kim Murphy's second Civil War novel, HONOR & GLORY, takes a roller coaster ride of a journey through smuggling, war prisons, battle wounds, sickness, childbirth, and other tests of endurance--while at the same time depicting the joys and hopes of both Northerners and Southerners who lived and loved during the turbulent time period.

The novel opens after the bloody Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 and focuses on two Virginian sisters, Amanda and Alice, the former of whom has experienced both widowhood and a new marriage since the war's start. Alice, the younger sister, finds difficulty in accepting her new brother-in-law's background and position in the war--and falls for a former love interest of Amanda's. Despite the familial tension, the two women's relationship grows stronger as they themselves gain strength, shedding Victorian morals and delicacies to do their part in helping ailing soldiers...and to protect their own lives and properties as the war stretches to 1865.

Each central character experiences dark depths of anguish at some point in the novel, yet Murphy also portrays supreme moments of joy that help them persevere and rise above their physical and/or emotional pain. Alice especially stands out as an exceptional character, transforming from a frivolous young lady to a multilayered, heroic woman. And the novel offers one of the most heart-stopping escape scenes ever written.

Either read with its predecessor, PROMISE & HONOR, or standing alone, HONOR & GLORY is an entertaining and emotional example of historical fiction at its finest.

The sequel to "Promise & Honor", and the second volume of a riveting trilogy, Honor & Glory continues author Kim Murphy's Civil War saga. Set in the aftermath of the battle of Fredericksburg, two armies wait for the spring campaign on the Rappahannock River banks. Two sisters are drawn into the war, their loyalties split - one betrothed to a Union major, while the other cannot forgive the Northern army that levelled her home. A momentous, sweeping, and emotional novel.

As book 2 in the 'Promise and Honor' trilogy, Kim Murphy again laces the Civil war with all its' death and destruction with the power of human love and survival. The characters introduced in the first book continue on with the ever evolving strength (and weaknesses) as the war rages on and as each of them share their hopes, dreams, tragedies and triumphs.
More than a 'Civil War' story and more than a love story the author captures the inner soul of a cast of characters plunged into a terrible situation that is dealt with in a very human and individual manner. Don't miss this book.

I am listening to the audio version of this book. I am not familiar with this author, and received this download as a freebie a few years ago. I love it! The "reader" is a female, which is difficult at first as she does all of the character's voices. For the majority of the characters, I think she does a wonderful job. Wil's "voice" just doesn't seem to fit. The story is a wonderful one and keeps you very intrigued throughout. I have to give high honors to the author...since I wasn't familiar with her writting and as I said this was a free download...I didn't know it was a trilogy til a few minutes ago! I have never once felt lost or as if there was another book missing! I plan to either read or listen to the 1st book and the 3rd, but I think it really shows what a wonderful author Ms. Murphy is that I don't feel like I NEED to go back and read the 1st book in order to understand the 2nd!