Customer Reviews

Stonewall's Gold: A Novel of the Civil War

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently learned that this book won the 1999 Michael Shaara Award for Civil War Fiction awarded by Louisiana State University. I don't know what books it competed against, but this one is clearly a winner.

I read this book some time ago and will re-read it soon. What I liked best was the way the two main characters related to each other to achieve their goal. A young 15 year old still fighting for the south and a tough young 18 year old girl, ala Scarlet O'Hara AFTER the war ("I'll never go hungry again!") but more likable. If you're looking for a detailed book about the civil war, this is not it. If your looking for some new insight into Stonewall Jackson or some secret about why the south lost, this is not it. In fact, the novel succeeds because it is more a "period piece", an action story of ordinary people which just happened to take place in the 1860s.

It is a book for all ages and I would especially encourage women, young and old, to read it as Kathleen is a strong willed heroine that I was happy to read about.

Thank you for evaluating my review.

This exceptionally well written story had me on the edge of my seat from one chapter to the next! The main character has some great adventures in the midst of a wonderful depiction of the Civil War. I passed this book along to my 14 year old. It is very easy reading and is appropriate for any age. If your homeschooler is studying the Civil War, I would recommend "Stonewall's Gold" as worthwhile supplemental reading. The author is very good at keeping the plot moving and exciting. Definitely add this book to your list of good reads for you and your family.

I've seen reviews of this book comparing it to Cold Mountain. It is nothing like Cold Mountain, which has very little to do with the Civil War. Cold Mountain could just as easily be about the Russian front in WWII. It's also very lyrical, a true poet's book. Stonewall's Gold truly brings alive the Civil War as I believe it must have been at that time and place. Its writing style is very spare with a wonderful sense of mood, weather, and evocative cinematic imagery. Personally, I can't think of a better Civil War novel since The Killer Angels. The writer also doesn't take sides. This could be a classic American movie if it is done well.

The comparisons to Michael Shaara will be as inevitable as they are deserved. A gripping page-turner of Civil War intrigue that reflects Mrazek's meticulous attention to the historical details of both sides' manueverings in the Shenandoah Valley, animated with telling detail, punchy dialogue, and one hell of a good story line. (A word to the wise, you want 18 year old heroine Katherine Dandridge on your side of the war...trust me.) A final confession: I finished this book on the train, sitting in the station, after my ride to work. A half hour after we arrived, as I turned the last page, the conductor finally kicked me off. If this is Mrazek's fiction debut, I can't wait for his sophomore effort.

I picked up this book because of a quote on the cover that likened it to Cold Mountain, which is one of the most wonderful books I have ever read. While I do not believe the comparison is justified, it was very engrossing and I'm not sorry I finished it. The story is exciting and, I believe, would appeal to a wide age-range. The author did a good job with his descriptions of the utter devastation of the land of the Shanandoah Valley. However, the novel pales before the evocative prose of Cold Mountain.The characters were not deeply drawn. Stonewall's Gold is a good story, but not great literature.

This book had a jump start beginning and followed on through most of the entire book. I read this book in precisely one day and in the middle of the book found myself thinking back to the time I read Treasure Island as a kid (which I still am 15) And before I knew it I was racing to the exciting climax of the book.Upon reaching the end and finishing the book, I turned to the next page expecting there to be another chapter only to find there was not one.I felt this to be an extreme let down ending I wanted to know more about the turn outs of Jamie's saga but the book left you hanging.There were many good parts to the book as well however and recomend the book to anyone who likes the Civil War.In conclusion I would say that the author made a better than average debut into the world of writing.

This a modern adventure story involving an innocent boy and an elfin girl in a historical setting. The most fascinating aspect of this book is the accurate description of the destruction the Civil War has wrought on the Shenandoah region. Against this bleak background of war-torn misery a quick paced adventure unfolds involving colorful charcters and realistic violence. If you appreciate tomboys, this is excellent reading. The main drawbacks of the book are its historic revisionism, giving its characters thoroughly contemporary American sensibilities, and that it tends to drag on and on in the end in order to give its protagonists historic credence instead of exploring directly whether the friendship between the two outlasted the war.

This is a fast-paced adventure story that should appeal to a wide range of readers (teenagers and adults, males and females, Civil War buffs and not). Mrazek does a terrific job of weaving fact and fiction to the point the story reads as much like fascinating history as a novel. Apart from the adventure story, Mrazek provides a vivid description of life for the families away from the front in the final months of the war. While it is true that it lacks the literary skill of Cold Mountain (as do almost all novels), it offers a similarily compelling story set during the same time. Yet, for a first-time author, and one who became an author in the middle of his career, the writing is quite good. For those of us familiar with Mrazek's distinguished congressional career (from fighting to preserve Civil War battlefields to protecting endangered lands in Alaska), it is clear that Congress' loss is the gain of readers everywhere. I eagerly await his next book.

I have previously read 'Unholy Fire' by Mrazek. These are, from what I gather, Mrazek's first two books. The arc from 'Stonewall's gold' to 'Unholy Fire' is great. In 'Gold' Mrazek is relying, in my opinion, on Mr. Twain and 'Gone With the Wind.' Mrazek's voice peeps forth every once and a while, but the story itself is a little contrived. Don't get me wrong, the writing here is first rate. If you open the pages, you will be led on a twisting journey that is engaging.

What surprises me is that in holding Mrazek's two books side by side and examining the faults of each, what you have are two remarkably different books that both fail to meet the grade in drastically different fashions. The story 'Unholy Fire' is by far the superior of the two novels and I would whole-heartedly reccomend it to anyone. But the ending of that book is a disaster. The stakes grow to preposterous proportions. What's nice about 'Stonewalls Gold' is that the story remains simple and you are not left gasping due to the hot air being blown about. The characters and the backstory are what make 'Unholy Fire' and I would have to say that this is not so for 'Stonewalls Gold.' In 'Gold,' the characters are so young that they are not developed enough to display very much depth.

You can see the start of my nit-picking above. What excites me about Mrazek, is that once he has a couple more novels under his belt, I think that the willingness to change directions and focus, as well as to grow, will turn him into an author of note for decades to come. I am excited to read his next book and would give the author two extatic thumbs up to anyone who is interested in following the career arc of upcoming authors.

The characters and setting are pretty believable. However, I did find that the middle of the book really came to a screeching halt around the time that the female lead shows up. But it is eventually over with, and the story moves on briskly.

But the whole "is the book real, or fiction!" aspect really got annoying. I would still recommend it, though.