Average customer rating:
- Into the heart of darkness
- NOT Science Fiction although still bestowed with the 1989 Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
- The cold, hard face of war stripped away
- Eastern mysticism combined with "China Beach"
- The Healer's War
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Healer's War, The
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0553282522
Release Date: 1989-09-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Into the heart of darkness .......2006-03-26
Elizabeth Scarborough is mostly known for her light humorous fantasy and science fiction. "The Fairy Godmother" series and "Channeling Cleopatra" are examples of this. One doesn't normally turn to her for a harrowing read about war and combat. Nontheless, that's exactly what "The Healer's War" is--with the added element of fantasy to mix things up.
I won't summarize the plot, since other reviewers have made that redundant. Suffice it to say that the main character of the book is Kitty McCulley, an Army nurse in Viet Nam. The first half of the book, which takes place on the inpatient orthopedic unit where Kitty works, is gritty enough, but it's still largely realistic. The second half, in which Kitty is taken deeper into the nightmare of war, is more hallucinatory, surrealistic and ugly--just like war itself. Scarborough includes an illuminating afterward about how her own experience as a nurse in Viet Nam affected her and how she came to write the book.
It's easy to see why this novel won the 1989 Nebula award, even if it isn't strictly SF. It's still a moving, quality piece of writing. It's a shame that it's not still in print.
NOT Science Fiction although still bestowed with the 1989 Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.......2005-12-03
The SFWA, the organization that awards the Nebula Award, doesn't officially change their name to the Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America from the Science Fiction Writers of America (with the F in SFWA changing from Fiction to Fantasy), for another two years but the powers that be for that change within the organization have already aggressively asserted themselves even two earlier and certainly for this year to allow this once prestigious ScF award to this novel. This may be considered a fair medical fiction novel, fine then award it some medical fiction award. Despite what Damon Knight, the FOUNDER of the SFWA, said that the Nebula award shouldn't be and was never intended to be for fantasy, the fantasy faction has decided to flex their muscles won by their coup and shove fantasy novels into all the faces of those that had considered this an award for science fiction.
Fantasy set during the Vietnam War was a bit of a subgenre in the late 80's, early 90's and their are some interesting stories that can be read such as "Ma Qui" and especially "The Dark" about the tunnel rats of Vietnam, that give a good sense of this genre and are relatively short readings. But this is an entire novel. Seeking knowledge about the Vietnam War is certainly a worthy goal and there are a number of documentaries that could be found at the video rental store, or even the public library, as well fictional movies; "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" being some of them and tv series on the medical aspects set in wartime such as MASH or China Beach that could be found on cable or dvd.
The story is about a medical worker in Vietnam during the war that obtains an amulet that let's her see `auras' around people that vary depending on their condition. That's as much ScF you'll get, and considering how much really, really great science fiction is out there, there's no reason to settle for a novel of this caliber. I didn't find this novel interesting even despite that fact it wasn't ScF. I can't even recommend any of the Nebula finalists as fully four of the six finalists are fantasy or speculative fiction. (Maybe "A Boat of a Million Years: by Poul Anderson since it's considered definite ScF.) The SFWA in it's arrogance over fantasy, doesn't even NOMINATE Hyperion by Dan Simmons as one of the supposed five (although usually six or seven) finalists for the Nebula award. This is the novel that won the Hugo award for best Science Fiction novel for that year and the Hyperion series is perhaps one of the best of the 90's.
Works awarded the Nebula after 1987 are hit or miss on science fiction and this novel would not be of interest to anyone wanting to read science fiction. However, Hyperion, that came out the same year, and its necessary sequel, The Fall of Hyperion, if not already read, are highly recommended instead.
The cold, hard face of war stripped away.......2004-08-26
I'm too young to remember the Vietnam war, nor am I in the medical profession, so I am not going to comment on the veracity of the medicine and the war action. It is enough for me that the author served as a nurse in Vietnam during the war there. The story initially feels autobiographical - the main character, Kitty, is a nurse in the long-term orthopedics ward in an army hospital. The twist: a Vietnamese holy man gives Kitty an amulet that allows her to see the "aura" of people, revealing their inner thoughts - how they are hurt (mentally and physically), their true moods. In addition, by pouring her "life force" into patients, or by channelling others, she can effect remarkable healing on her patients.
The amulet is a simple plot device that Scarborough uses to delve into the psyche of the various characters in the book, and to humanise the terrible events that occur around her heroine. It also allows us to suspend disbelief that a city girl from the U.S. could survive a chopper crash into a jungle full of VC and U.S. forces trying to kill each other. Scarborough does not hold back - she gives us the full force of the savagery that made the Vietnam war so different from other conflicts, and does so in a fairly non-judgemental way (i.e. both sides are committing the atrocities).
This is not a "feel-good" book by any means. It is not science fiction either, in spite of the fact that the Science Fiction Writers' Association awarded it the Nebula in 1989. It is an good book, though, and I recommend it.
Eastern mysticism combined with "China Beach".......2003-10-01
What a lovely book, an unexpected pleasure written by a female nurse with Vietnam war experience.
As a trauma surgeon, I can assure you that the first half of the book, mostly taking place in a patient ward, feels absolutely real. Total verisimilitude.
The second half...the "jungle" half...effortless dovetails aspects of Eastern mysticism...of "auras" if you will...with tense accounts of the travails of war.
An unlikely combination to be sure, but a terrific read!
This is probably a "science fiction" book with the widest possible audience. It could be an Oprah Book Club pick, and I mean that in a good way!
The Healer's War.......2003-05-23
The book was absolutely gripping. It is hard to believe that the writer of the Fairy Godmother books could produce such an emotionally overwhelming book of the horrors of the Vietnam war. You know the book is fiction, but you wonder just "how much" is really ficiton. E. A. Scarborough pulls you kicking and screaming through desperate war situations that you know, deep inside, must have been real, yet she makes it bearable with her "healing hand" of magic and mystery. Had I known beforehand what the book was about, I would never have read it. I was sick of the Vietnam war ages ago when it happened. But, Scarborough made me relive it with her, sometimes sobbing, sometimes livid with fury, and I wound up reading all night a book that years ago, I would have scorned. She is quite a lady, and a genius to have pulled *me* into her coils.
Average customer rating:
- Clone Wars MASH Unit - Part 2
- Solid conclusion to the duology
- An Enjoyable Read
- Excellent conclusion to the Medstar series
- Conclusion of Medstar duology will leave you empty
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Medstar II: Jedi Healer (Star Wars: Clone Wars Novel)
Michael Reaves , and
Steve Perry
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0345463110
Release Date: 2004-09-28 |
Book Description
While the Clone Wars wreak havoc throughout the galaxy, the situation on the far world of Drongar is desperate, as Republic forces engage in a fierce fight with the Separatists. . . .
The threatened enemy offensive begins as the Separatists employ legions of droids into their attack. Even with reinforcements, the flesh and blood of the Republic forces are just no match for battle droids’ durasteel. Nowhere is this point more painfully clear than in the steaming Jasserak jungle, where the doctors and nurses of a small med unit face an impossible situation. As the dead and wounded start to pile up, surgeons Jos Vandar and Kornell “Uli” Divini know that time is running out.
Even the Jedi abilities of Padawan Barriss Offee have been stretched to the limit. Ahead lies a test for Barriss that could very well lead to her death–and that of countless others. For the conflict is growing–and for this obscure mobile med unit, there’s only one resolution. Shocking, bold, unprecedented, it’s the only option Jos and his colleagues really have.
The unthinkable has become the inevitable. Whether it kills them or not remains to be seen.
Customer Reviews:
Clone Wars MASH Unit - Part 2.......2006-11-14
Jedi Healer is the continued story of the Clone Wars MASH unit on the Planet Drongar. The Republic medical team of surgeons, nurses, and droids is still headed by Dr. Jos Vondar, but his close friend Dr. Zan Yant did not survive Medstar I. The wounded clone troopers continue to be brought in by medlift, and the doctors continue to exert every possible effort to save lives.
Much of this tale deals with the efforts of the Separatist spy to create chaos on Drongar and the efforts of the Black Sun operative to obtain as much of the miracle plant bota as possible. At the same time we are treated to the ongoing love affair between Dr. Vondar and his chief nurse Tolk le Trene as they try to overcome cultural prejudices stemming from Vondar's upbringing. The droid I-5 and the reported Den Dhur are still with us and have significant roles as the story unfolds.
Much of the book deals with Jedi Padawan Barris Offee and her experiences with the Force. She discovers that an injection of the miracle plant bota opens up areas of the Force that she never dreamed existed. She would be able to perform miraculous feats by using the bota. However, could this be a direct path to the power of the dark side? Offee struggles with this situation and finally manages to reach a conclusion.
This book, along with Medstar I, gives us an extremely interesting look at the world of the medical teams serving in the Clone Wars.
Solid conclusion to the duology.......2006-11-08
The Medstar Duology is the only multi-book series in the prequel era published to date. Medstar II: Jedi Healer picks up the story one week after the events of the first novel and brings the tale to a satisfying conclusion. I'm not clear why this story in particular was chosen to be split into two books, when a slightly edited version could have been condensed to a single volume, but this is a curiosity rather than a complaint. The extra breathing room permits a story that features some slices-of-life a tighter focus likely would have precluded.
Uli Divini, a barely out of school but highly skilled doctor, arrives at the Rimsoo early in this book to replace the main character lost at the end of book one. Uli adds youthful energy and naivete to the mix, as well as providing Barriss Offee with some insight on her personal inward journey to Jedi Knighthood. The other major new character, Admiral Erel Kersos, brings turmoil to our hero doctor Jos Vondar and complicates his burgeoning relationship with nurse Tolk Le Trene.
Den Dhur, the scrappy Sullustan reporter, is tiring of his nomadic life and faces temptation to abandon his career and settle down when an attractive entertainer is stranded on Drongar and makes him an unexpected offer. I-Five has continued his journey to reclaim his memories (wiped at the climax of Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter), as well as his exploration of self. Michael Reaves and Steve Perry have done a good job of interweaving many main characters' soul-searching explorations and logically connecting most of them together in believable and entertaining ways. Additionally, as authors they are strong with realistic and often funny dialogue, something some of the Star Wars EU can be a little weak on.
The unexpected weather change mid-book in the Rimsoo was a great idea, fleshing out the "force dome" concept and some of the possible side effects of shielding a facility in this way. I enjoyed the visit from the galactic entertainment troupe and the frequent visits to the cantina. Barriss Offee's path to Knighthood is continued well and the form her hardest trial takes, in the form of organically-fueled limitless power, is unexpected.
I'm still a bit cold on the Column/Lens spy story - it simply feels rather forced. Early in the first book, there's a sentence that uses a male pronoun for the spy, so the suspense of who it was when the candidates are reduced to two was non-existent for me. The reasons the spy has for his actions are solid, but the storyline could have been re-written to give you his point of view early on and then explored from a more engaging angle. Black Sun agent Kaird and his two henchmen are decent antagonists, but the real star of this show is the focus on the lives of the heroes and their incredible struggles against the nature of war itself, rather than any personal direct confrontations with the book's villains.
The two Medstar books were a fun read and I'd be delighted to link back up with Den Dhur and I-Five on Coruscant in a future novel.
An Enjoyable Read.......2006-03-08
I enjoy how these authors write. The characters really come to life after the first book. It's still not the most exciting Star Wars book I've read, but it sure isn't the worst one either. Not too much to say...overall I think that the Medstar books are worth reading.
Excellent conclusion to the Medstar series.......2005-12-25
Jedi Healer was every bit as good as Battle Surgeons. The story of life in a Republic Mobile Surgical Unit (known as a Rimsoo) on Drongar continues. This book starts off on a sad note since Zan Yant, Jos Vondar's best friend, died in the last chapter of Battle Surgeons. Also, the identity of the spy from book 1 is still unsolved. The story keeps getting better and better as "accidents" start occuring. The Rimsoo's climate systems begin malfunctioning, causing snow when it's normally hot and humid, a bota shuttle blows up, a portion of the Medstar in orbit explodes, etc. Only Barriss Offee believes these weren't accidents. In a chapter near the end she begins suspecting people of causing it. Finally, the Seperatists launch an attack and the spy is discovered. Despite the Medstar books feeling far too short, Jedi Healer was a great ending to a great series.
Conclusion of Medstar duology will leave you empty.......2005-10-28
I never thought I'd see the day when I gave a Star Wars novel three stars. Yet, the rating is truly deserved. After reading Medstar I, you start feeling a connection to the characters, seeing how they struggle with issues that are true to life, perhaps even some you can relate to on a personal level. The second installment, however, misses the mark. Here's why:
The title is misleading. Barriss Offee, Padawan learner, has been sent to the mobile surgical unit on Drongar to use her Jedi healing skills on the sick and injured. You definitely see more of her in action in the first installment. Not so much in Medstar II.
Nothing really happens that has any substance. News reporter Den Dhur meets an attractive female of his species, they get together, she basically "proposes" to him, she leaves and tells him to come back to their home planet ASAP, and then he gets cold feet. The romance between Jos Vondar and Tolk la Trene gets up and running in the first book, runs somewhat awry in this one, just to get back on track again by the end. These stories just didn't go anywhere.
Although Barriss is still a Padawan, her stay on Drongar is essentially her trial to become a Jedi Knight. In my mind, that means the she should already be skilled, controlled, intelligent, patient, and very strong in the Force (especially since she's a healer). When she accidentally gets injected with bota, the adaptogenic drug found on Drongar, she, in lack of better terms, had an "acid trip" experience where she became one with the Force and all of a sudden the whole galaxy made sense. Couldn't she figure out that the bota had a hallucinogenic effect on her? I would think she would have known better. Instead, she takes it again, but this time on purpose?! I think the author was trying to illustrate how easy it is to start down the path of the dark side, but the attempt fell flat.
On a positive note, the human-like droid I-5 kept things going in the right direction. And, the part of the book where he gets drunk (yes, drunk), is quite entertaining. Also, the double agent who was working for the Separatists and the Black Sun criminal organization was identified. At the end of the first installment, I had a pretty good idea who it was, but I was glad to see that the author didn't forget to wrap that part of the story up.
All in all, Medstar II is worth reading, if anything, just to complete the duology. Just don't expect any exciting action sequences or any radical changes in character. If that's what you're looking for, read Republic Commando: Hard Contact. I really do not like to give three stars, but compared to books like the one above, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, and the Cestus Deception, it just doesn't pass muster.
May the force be with you!
Book Description
The United States Army Special Forces Medical Sergeant is an extensively trained soldier possessing extraordinary medical capabilities and responsibilities.
"The requirement for acceptance into the course is among the Army's most stringent and the attrition rate is high. Prior to graduation each student is examined orally by a board of physicians and senior medics, who will permit no one but those qualified to graduate."
His skills as a warrior are an essential element to the success of his teams' mission.
"Just because you were a medic didn't mean that you would never have to climb a mountain, row a rubber raft, blow up a bridge or organize an ambush."
His compassion and dedication as a healer are without equal.
"That night, that was quite a challenge. I found out that most of our training had brought us right up to that level with no problem. You quickly remember that you're not God. Even if you're a full-trained American doctor-you realize you're not God. There were some things you just could not fix. Some of them were already dead, some you could stop the bleeding, tie off the bleeders and keep 'em alive to be evacuated."
Customer Reviews:
Unconventional Warrior Medics--Special Forces Medical Sergeants .......2006-10-07
A truly fascinating history of the origin, development, training and deployment of Green Beret medical sergeants are chronicled in the book "Warrior Healers: The Untold Story of the Special Forces Medic - Book 1: The Beginning". Author Leonard D. Blessing Jr delivers a manifesto of well researched information and actual comments from those who served in that capacity in the field. The book is loaded with everything you could possibly ever want to know about these men and their teams. The training alone shows what these men were and are made of. This is a profession of brave warriors who also have medical training to treat injuries, wounds and disease. They also can train others to deliver fundamental medical treatments and first aid. There is no other group like these enlisted men. They are not doctors but at times function in areas of the world where they are the only thing between life and death. They perform everything from amputations and operations to even dental work when called for.
The author adds a rich element to his historical accounting by including quotes from actual Special Forces veterans. This gives each chapter a real world view on what it was like in the field. The stories are remarkable and showcase a dedicated group of men that have not been fully understood over the years. This book will do much to educate the public on the services that these men gave and continue to give. These are not some wild "Rambo" types out there carrying out random acts of needless violence against some enemy; but a highly disciplined, well educated and thoroughly organized self-sufficient group of men who are an integral part of the teams they are on. These men are part of a well oiled military machine. There are no better trained and motivated men in the world! The author pays them high tribute with his book and honors their fine traditions.
There are photos, and personal comments from actual veterans that make this a more than just a cold history book. Blessing ties it altogether with a good use of narrative and makes the whole reading experience both entertaining as well as educational. The book contains a vast amount of information and one is amazed that there is much more to be told in the next volume in this series. This is Book number #1. But it reads like a complete accounting and you are not left hanging like some soap opera story. The author plans on taking the readers into later years of history but for now, this look at the past is basically focused on Southeast Asia. As good as "Volume One" is, I can only wonder how great the second installment will be. Suffice to say, this book is a great read all by itself. It is a product of meticulous research and interviews and it shows! I fully recommend this book for all history buffs or those interested in military's Special Forces.
Book Description
Ann McMillan has a gift for seamlessly weaving together a "rollicking good mystery and meticulously researched slice of history" (Richmond Times-Dispatch). In Chickahominy Fever she has done it once again, combining suspense with elegant period detail and bringing to life a sweeping, rich, and complex cast of characters from every echelon of Southern society.
It is the summer of 1862. The Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, its hospitals already overflowing, lies under the shadow of the brutal Seven Days Battle. In the mounting confusion Narcissa Powers begins to suspect foul play in the ward. Morphine, the only relief for the brutally injured, is disappearing. And after a mysterious "patient" dies suspiciously, tension mounts. The mystery reunites Narcissa with her old friend and fellow investigator Judah Daniel. Soon the two women, with their British journalist ally Brit Wallace, are drawn into a tangled web of spies and traitors and uncertain loyalties.
Customer Reviews:
Just what I expected.......2007-01-11
I love Civil War Mysteries and this one did not dissappoint
Just can't recommend this........2004-08-05
I found the plot of this fragmented and although loosely based on an actual incident, improbable. The red herrings, rather than being effective, made the protagonist seem naïve. The only thing that saved this book, for me, was the history, but that's not enough for me to recommend it as a mystery.
Another terrific mystery.......2003-10-17
Ann McMillan continues her poignant, thrilling mystery series with this book, her fourth. Always a clever plotter and a careful researcher, she grows bolder with her use of major historical figures, and to good effect. "Chickahominy Fever" opens at night in Confederate President Jefferson Davis's office. The Union army is nearing Richmond's door. Before the first scene is done we have a wonderful slice of Davis's tortured character, a keen sense of the political and philosophical pressure applied by a former Virginia governor now commanding troops, and the beginnings of a spy plot that propels the story to its remarkable finish. McMillan navigates with practiced sureness among the whites, slaves and free blacks of Civil War Richmond. She takes us from the wards of Richmond's sprawling Chimborazo hospital to the chaotic battlefields of the 7 Days, from high-society parlor rooms to life among working blacks. Her major characters, already cherished from the earlier books, continue to evolve and fascinate. And once again she populates the book with a memorable secondary cast. Another terrific mystery. Can't wait for the next.
Average customer rating:
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Healers in World War II: An Oral History of the American Medical Corps
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0786409339 |
Book Description
Dr. Logan W. Hovis parachuted onto Corregidor with the 503rd Regimental Combat Team. Dr. Jeremiah Henry Holleman served with the 89th Division all the way into Germany, liberating a concentration camp. Nurse Mary A. Breeding, five feet tall, 100 pounds, served with the 174th General Hospital in France. Dr. Vincent Stephen Conti was awarded a Bronze Star for fighting typhus in Naples, Italy. These accounts and 31 others covering the heroics of 44 individuals working in the Medical Corps are gathered here by editor Patricia W. Sewell. Firsthand accounts are given by doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, front-line medics, Navy corpsmen, medical personnel who served on air evacuation teams and hospital ships, and others who functioned in many different capacities. Autobiographies, interviews, letters and cassette tapes helped compose most of these narratives
Book Description
At the end of Operation Desert Storm, close friends and female soldiers Chris and Erin go their separate ways--without even saying good-bye. When tragedy reunites them four years later, one’s fear of God and the other’s faith in Him collide in a different kind of war only one of them can win.
Customer Reviews:
Masterfully Written.......2006-11-18
Chris McIntyre, has run away from all her difficulties. A veteran medic of Operation Desert Storm, she has tried to hide in a Colorado mountain cabin, shunning all who care for her. When her friend Travis Novak is killed while trying to rescue her from an escaped convict who stumbled into her cabin, she is hardened even more.Erin Mathis was Chris's friend and fellow soldier not so many years ago. There lives had gone in different directions after the war. Hearing of Travis's death, Erin is drawn to help Chris who has steeped to the depths of despair. Can she help her friend who pushes every hope away? Who only wants to die and is hurrying her wish along through alcohol abuse? It will take the power of God to heal this wounded heart.Donna Fleischer is not only a gifted story teller, but writes what she knows. A U.S. veteran herself, her military scenes are believable. Strong characters, fast paced action, and a riveting story make this book a must read.
Compelling.......2006-10-23
Donna's first novel is an exceptional blend of action and suspense, palpable emotions, devoted friendship and the faithfulness of God.
Christina McIntyre is a wounded soul, both from childhood secrets and her life as a soldier in Iraq. A fledgling friendship with fellow soldier, Erin Grayson, develops but is soon tested by tragedy in combat and Chris disappears to the mountains of Colorado, seeking the anonymity she prefers. Erin knows God has placed a burden for Chris on her heart and her faithfulness to that call puts her at odds with her protective husband, Scott. When Chris' life is shattered by another tragic loss, Erin brings a broken Chris into her home and and shows her what true compassion is.
Donna Fleisher's sensitive characterization draws you into the lives of Chris, Erin and the eclectic group of people in the Kimberley Street Community Centre where Erin works and lives. The relationships are genuine and full of the realities of what life is really about. A fantastic start to a compelling series.
Amazing characters.......2005-10-19
WOUNDED HEALER by Donna Fleisher (Homeland Heroes, book 1)
From the back cover:
Flooded with panic, two words burst through Erin's mind: GET HELP. She ran for the door, but someone grabbed her, twisted her arm behind her. Erin's shriek was smothered by a cold, clammy hand.
"Shhh--" Breath tickled her ear--" Just take it easy . . ."
Surrounded by the oppressive sand, heat, and tension of Operation Desert Storm, soldiers Erin Grayson and Christina McIntyre shared a special bond. But when an ugly secret from Chris's past shattered without even a good-bye.
Four years have gone by since that day in the desert, but Chris has spent her entire life running from the past, hiding her deepest secrets from those who care for her most. And now tragedy has ripped apart her life. She sees no hope in tomorrow.
Overcoming her own anger and doubt, Erin rushes to Chris's Colorado cabin. When Chris's fear of God and Erin's faith in him collide, they are involved in a different kind of war that only one of them can win. As Chris wrestles with grief, fear, and ghosts from the past, Erin fights to pull her from the brink of self-destruction. She will not lose Chris again.
Chris's life is at stake...as well as her soul.
Camy here:
This amazing novel starts off with a suspenseful bang, but it's a deeply emotional book on friendship and trust. It's a more unusual women's fiction novel, involving more action than I've seen in other books, but I enjoy that aspect of this.
The writing grabbed me by the throat. Powerful, vibrant, gritty.
Characterization is deep like still waters. Everyone is unique, whether it's the protagonist or someone with only ten pages of screen time. Chris is vividly three-dimensional, strong and memorable. Erin is consistent and markedly different from her friend. I would have liked to see more grit in her, also, but it almost doesn't fit with her softer personality.
The faith element is a major story thread, and it's done with a skilled hand, one of the best I've seen in Christian fiction. Chris's struggles are honest and real.
My biggest objection was the overprotective, hostile nature of Erin's husband. I felt angry and disgusted at how he jumps to conclusions about Chris, which would naturally feed her rebellious nature. But I guess that also means the writer did her job, since I care about Chris and feel strongly about Scott. I also see how the author is setting the scene for the next book in the series, WARRIOR'S HEART, where Chris and Scott are the main protagonists.
It also bothered me how everyone around Erin sympathizes with her and feels sorry about how Chris hurts her. No one even thinks about the underlying issues Chris is dealing with--they all rally around Erin, treat her like the victim, bemoan her loyalty to someone who lashes out at her. Erin cries a LOT. However, my bias could also be because I relate more to Chris--wounded and angry--than Erin, who's had less trials in her life.
The author's experiences in Desert Storm lend authenticity to the flashback settings. I felt as if I were there, in the helicopter, in the barracks.
This is a great story with memorable characters.
Terrific story!.......2005-07-23
Sometimes there are people functioning around us who are terribly wounded inside. Donna Fleisher reveals such a person in Chris McIntyre, a Colorado Search & Rescue worker, tormented by her childhood, her Desert Storm service, and her present. Through the plot twists, we understand some of what made Chris who she is, and are given the opportunity to she who she can become. It's refreshing to find a book that doesn't reveal all, nor does it try to wrap everything up in a neat package. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Awesome Read.......2005-07-11
Wow! Donna Felisher takes you right to the soul of Chris McIntyre, an emotionally wounded veteran of Desert Storm. Chris battles her feelings of self-worth and past pain. Her best friend, Erin, stays by her, through Chris's drinking and violence, always loving, always showing God's love. This book is a must read. - author of Pursued By Evil and A Dream Fulfilled
Book Description
As Ann McMillan's Civil Blood opens, some Richmonders pour into the streets in celebration of a Union warship's defeat, while others--slaves, free blacks, Union sympathizers--mourn in secret. Unknown to all of them, another disaster threatens, quieter but more effective than warships: smallpox, the most contagious plague the world has ever known. The detective team of Narcissa Powers, a white widow turned Confederate nurse, and Judah Daniel, a free black herbalist, encounters a frightening possibility: the victims are being intentionally infected by tainted money flowing through Richmond's network of speculators and profiteers.
Customer Reviews:
Nice Series.......2003-10-13
I really enjoy this series and it is one of the better-written ones going today. This one takes place in the late spring of 1862 and there are outbreaks of smallpox occurring requiring some patients to be quarantined. When one of those patients dies with Narcissa at his side, he whispers something to indicate that there might be some money circulating with the smallpox virus contaminiating it. Narcissa is put in charge of containing that outbreak and, along with Judah Daniel, works to do that while also solving the mystery of how that money came into circulation. This book is a fascinating portrait of Civil War America and the mystery is intriguing as well. Highly recommended.
Look out! Smallpox!.......2002-11-28
I was dying, ha ha, to read Ms. McMillan's book and got tired of waiting for the paperback, so I ordered online, used, from Amazon.[com] I was not disappointed. Her Civil War mystery series is getting more in depth.
This time the story seemed to focus more on Narcissa and less on Judah; it seems like the last book had more of Judah and less Narcissa; which I suppose is as it should be. Poor Brit Wallace isn't mentioned in the attempts to get you to interested in these mysteries (jacket cover, publisher summaries, etc)---however, as the newspaperman from Britain in Richmond, he is just as much a "detective" as the other two.
I kept going back and forth between Brit and Cameron Archer; which would be the better suitor for Narcissa? Theres plenty of tentative romance to keep us on tenterhooks for a few more books; do we have to wait that long?
The story does have more of the hospital and nursing aspects; we learn about smallpox in the city of Richmond and the possible threat of an outbreak when a contaminated jacket is stolen.
Ms. McMillan kept me guessing but I was grateful that I could actually figure out "whodunit" before she let us in on it.
Isn't that the goal of every mystery reader? To figure it out before the author lets you in?
Anyways. Very good. She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you're really there. I don't know what it is. Thats why I was a bit out of sorts at the end---I thought it ended abruptly.
Is that another typicality of a mystery series?
Looking forward to buying a used hardback of the next book! :)
A brilliant mystery of substance.......2001-11-20
Smallpox breaks out in an American city. The country is at war, and the ethics of combat in question. Has the horrid disease been loosed intentionally? And by which side? Have children been enlisted in this war? The plot lines in "Civil Blood" could be lifted from today's headlines, but this is a mystery about Civil War Richmond (published months before 9/11/01). For all its eerie relevance to the present, this book is rooted unerringly in its era. Ann McMillan's well-drawn characters never warp out of the 1800s. They deal with the anguish of their own war and their own time. A mystery of substance. Another brilliant installment in McMillan's series.
Teriffic Civil War Mystery.......2001-07-30
In 1862 the American Civil War heats up with the Northern Army nearing the Confederate capital of Richmond. However, a greater threat to the lives of military in the area and the citizens of Richmond occurs when small pox is the cause of a death. Soon other deaths and accusations of germ warfare follow.
Southern nurse Narcissa Powers, English reporter Brit Wallace, and former slave healer Judah Daniel look for the source of the deadly disease. As they separately dig deeper, each one shares the findings with the other. No segment of the city from the elite to the slums or of the two armies escape their evaluation as the trio tries to prevent an epidemic from happening.
Fans of Civil War novels will, upon reading CIVIL BLOOD, play trumpets in tribute to the author for an entertaining historical who-done-it. The story line starts off very powerfully as a vividly graphic opening hooks the audience while introducing the lead characters. The tale slows down a bit during the investigation because the key players literally exchange notes from their respective interviews even though that technique smoothly blends into the main theme. However, the story line ends with an incredible finish that will fully satisfy the audience, sending them marching to the nearest bookstore to purchase Ann McMillanýs previous historical mysteries.
Harriet Klausner
This book is treat for Civil War buffs.......2001-07-11
I was eagerly awaiting this book, and I was not disappointed. I read it through twice in the period of three days. The main characters are compelling (particularly Narcissa Powers) and the mystery is well-crafted. The connections to previous books in the series really enhance the story (although I don't believe you need to read the previous books to enjoy this one). The emotions and conflicts between the characters are stronger and more deeply felt than in the previous books in the series, which endeared the book to me. If you are a Civil War buff, you may find the book particularly intriguing. The second time I read it I kept referring to my copy of Shelby Foote's Civil War: A Narrative, to follow the military story taking place just down the road from Richmond while the plot events unfolded. This too, enhanced the story.
Book Description
An unlikely pair of crime solvers returns in an elegant and haunting Civil War mystery rooted deep in the politics, culture, and lore of its time
Devoured by both mystery lovers and Civil War buffs, Ann McMillan's Dead March won comparisons to Anne Perry. With the same enthralling blend of vivid suspense and period detail, Angel Trumpet continues the adventures of Narcissa Powers, a well-to-do young white widow, and Judah Daniel, a free black root doctor and conjure woman.
On a nearby plantation outside Richmond a scene of slaughter greets a homecoming colonel: his whole family butchered, with their servants clutching knives--yet seemingly drugged. Called in by an army surgeon, Judah and Narcissa--aided by their British journalist friend Brit Wallace, and hampered by a spoiled madcap belle with a passion for ghosts and secret passages--explore this bizarre crime. As the two women unravel this deadly knot, another murder makes Judah a prime suspect in a city that quivers at the specter of slave rebellion and shivers in anticipation of the next drum roll . . .
"This is a book you'll have trouble putting down." --Richmond Times Dispatch
Customer Reviews:
It's a little scary..........2002-09-03
Well, maybe just the beginning is scary. The plot is well developed and intriguing. The characters are interesting and hook you into the story. I really enjoyed reading this book and the rest in the series. I have recommended it to many friends and they also enjoyed this book. (I haven't gotten the book back yet.) I hope you find this a good read.
Immersed into History, Once Again.......2001-04-11
At last! It finally came into paperback! I am too cheap to buy hardcover fiction, so I am very testy and impatient to get paperback editions. Ann McMillan did not disappoint me. Thank you, Ann! You set me back a century or two and I was oh, so comfy and fascinated. What an interesting interaction between black and white culture during "The Great Conflict," played up by the author quite believably. One reviewer here did point out that there was little to the mystery part of the story, but I think if a reader is more interested in the historical atmosphere and characters, they will not be disappointed. I picked this series up for a variety of reasons, least of all the mystery aspect. I am not a "mystery lover," thus I am unsure of what "mystery" conditions apply; but I recommend this book to anyone looking for a well written tale of women, race relations, plantations and murder all set during the Civil War.
Good ideas, poor execution.......2001-02-21
McMillan has some wonderful, dramatic ideas in this book. However, she doesn't convey them well on paper. Her work lacks dramatic tension and emotional impact, and important plot twists go by so rapidly the reader's left going "Huh?". I like that she deals with the issue of race in 19th century America without resorting to stereotypes, and I thought her battle scene was reasonably well done. Still, the shallow nature of the writing ended up leaving me cold.
Tyler's Review on Angel Trumpet.......2001-02-10
This was a wonderful book that starts off in the beginning slow and boring but as you read on everything starts to unfold, and you will see how the life and times of Virginia in the 1860s really were. For instance, the people in this story treated blacks as though they were dogs, with little if any respect at all, but back in Cival War times, that's how it was. Civil War fans should enjoy ANGEL TRUMPET. The plot of the mystery is well written but a little complex as many people have motives and opportunities to commit the murders. Ann McMillan has written an awesome story that to me was very good. I have read better stories in my life-time, but I did love the novel, because I am a fan of the fascinating facts of Cival War History.
Excellent Civil War Mystery.......2000-05-01
I love Ann McMillan's two Civil War mysteries (Dead March and Angel Trumpet). The author gives a fascinating glimpse of life in Virginia at the start of the Civil War. McMillan has great respect for both her white and black heroines, and she doesn't take a simplistic view of the whites or blacks of the era. Along with the historical detail there is a great mystery to be solved and lots of continuing characters. I can't wait for book number three.
Amazon.com
Ann McMillan's Dead March is the first in what promises to be a series of Civil War-era mysteries as appealing as Anne Perry's historical procedurals. Narcissa Power, a young Virginia widow consigned to a dismal existence in the country home of her sister-in-law, receives an urgent summons from family friends of her beloved brother, Charley. Shortly after she rushes to his side, he dies of a disease that should have caused only a minor infection. The mystery of his death is compounded when Narcissa finds a fragment of a half-burned letter from Charley that someone has hidden in her Bible. Wanting to do right by her brother and avoid returning to the doldrums of her country existence, Narcissa plunges into the turmoil of Richmond in the days between Fort Sumter and the first great battle of the Civil War. A colorful collection of plausible characters gather in the parlors and back alleys of Richmond--a British journalist, a dashing but arrogant young doctor, a cruel overseer, and Judah Daniel, a freedwoman who is also the local herbalist and "conjure woman." Each will be a part of the eventual unraveling of the mystery.
Against the background of a beautiful city in turmoil, clues come fast and furious. The players converge at the hospital and secrets are shaken loose, leading to surprising and satisfying denouement. But relationships are only beginning to develop among the cast, and the reader must wait for McMillan's next volume to learn the outcome. The credible detail and authenticity of setting and scene will captivate those with a renewed interest in the American Civil War, which has been aroused by Cold Mountain and Ken Burns's PBS series. --Barbara Schlieper
Book Description
Historical mysteries fly off the shelves these days. At the same time, millions of Civil War buffs--pilgrims to battle sites and fans of Ken Burns's documentary--devour all they can read about those four fatal years. Dead March, vivid and suspenseful, rich in period detail and the tension of its times, stands poised to capture this twofold audience. In the gilded Virginia spring of 1861, secession talk fills Richmond's parlors and dark doings are afoot in its medical school and cemetery. Narcissa Powers, a well-to-do young white widow, is thrown together with Judah Daniel, a free black herbalist and "conjure woman," to solve the murder of a slave girl whose cadaver is dug up by anatomists and their grave robbers. Aided by a fledgling British news correspondent, these two women from opposite ends of society risk their lives as they infiltrate the worlds of men, medicine, and war that are about to collide in the bloody battle of First Manassas. Dead March is the opening salvo in a series that will delight both mystery and Civil War buffs.
Customer Reviews:
Not Quite.......2004-02-13
I liked a number of things about this book. It is well presented in terms of time and place. The history is accurate. Using a young widow as the heroine gives an interesting point of view. On the other hand, the characters, especially the heroine, are underdeveloped. I found I did not greatly care what happened to Narcissa, which is a problem. The supporting characters were more interesting, although they could use some development also. One character changed from a potential villain to a potentional love interest in one or two pages with very little explanation. I am interested enough to want to read the later books in the series and there is potential. However, this book is two or three revisions away from being a really good book.
Very Good BOOK.......2003-06-03
Im 10 years old and i read this book. i thought it was really good. very creepy too. Ü hee hee
Shows promise, but not quite there yet........2002-07-01
As this was recommended along with Barbara Hambly's latest, I decided to give "Dead March" a go. Unfortunately, it can't help but suffer in comparison with "Wet Grave." Several things in the book struck me as being underdeveloped, and I think the main fault was the characterization. Too much information about the characters is given in expository chunks; rather than letting us discover who these people are through their actions and their conversation, we're simply told what their attitudes and personalities are. The story would have been much more effective if they'd been allowed to reveal themselves. The premise itself is fascinating and seldom-seen, but the presentation of the author's ideas would have benefitted from some more subtlety.
Readable but ultimately forgettable.......2001-02-24
This is a reasonably entertaining book, but there is something slight about it, and the "mystery" hinges on something that is either inaccurate or not properly explained. The basic idea is that doctors of the time, not knowing what germs were, transferred infections from one patient to the next. This is a well-known fact, but McMillan makes it sounds as though the doctors are somehow permanently tainted "Gangrene Mary"s. Of course, in reality, infection could only be passed on if the doctor's hands, bandages, etc. were tainted at the time they were used. Having said that, McMillan uses the concept pretty well to put her characters in an emotionally dramatic situation. I wish that she had included more historical detail -- I never feel that I get a real sense for the setting, as I do for the New Orleans of Hambly's 19th century mysteries. The war and military hospital scenes are reasonably well done but I wanted, again, more detail. Overall, this is readable and has some good ideas but suffers from an overall lack of intensity.
Women of the Confederacy, rejoice!.......2000-07-04
Having written my senior thesis on Confederate Nursing, I was surprised to find a fictional story about womens role in Civil War Nursing. History has given us much on the role of Yankee women nurses, but Southern womens efforts are still to a large part neglected. In jumps Narcissa Powers. A believable Southern belle; too effeminate and simple at times, you wonder why she is the heroine and not Jubah? A most respectable woman. I don't agree with the war being entirely focused on slavery--the one inconsistency in the book I found. But her in depth information on hospital conditions and womens issues is great---I really enjoyed this book. Forget about the murder and mystery! I had fun enough exploring the characters and the medical and cultural body surrounding it. I recommend this story for women enthusiasts of the Civil War. Can't wait for the sequel to come out in paperback!
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