RomanceEverAfter

Historical Romance Column

The Civil War:
Through the Eyes of Heather Graham

In this first installment on the American Civil War, I am going to highlight three books by Heather Graham which take place during this time period. Included in this installment are several supplemental articles. These will include the first battle of the Civil War - First Bull Run/Manassas - and two important women of the Confederacy. I hope to provide some insight into Rose O'Neal Greenhow, a prominent Washington, D.C. socialite and Confederate spy, and Varina Davis, Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ wife.

I hope reviewing these books from a historical perspective will enhance your knowledge and interest in the Civil War period. Graham has intertwined history with romance in a way that keeps us wanting to know more of the people and events involved in this tragic time.

President Jefferson Davis, Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia

Comments on the Civil War

Shelby Foote, one of the narrators of the Ken Burns film series on the Civil War states that, "Any understanding of this nation has to be based on the understanding of the Civil War. I believe it firmly defined us as what we are and opened us to what we became – both good and bad things." As I proceed through my journey of understanding the Civil War, this statement is becoming clearer to me each day. "Passion" is the word that describes the feelings that come to the surface when reading the novels, biographies, and other factual records of these important four years of American history.   

Before writing this article, I took the opportunity to visit several Civil War battle sites. As in my article on London, I mentioned the feelings of walking where famous people had walked hundreds of years ago. While I strolled where these soldiers walked nearly 140 years ago, I felt compassion for the men who fought and died to make our country what it is today. I truly believe Shelby Foote’s statement in my earlier paragraph. We can attain a better understanding of the Civil War by touring the sites of the battles.

Battlefield at Manassas

While visiting the sites in Virginia (Richmond, Manassas, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Guinea Station), I found the corresponding park guides to be helpful and passionate about the events and battles they discussed. I not only learned the facts, but gained a deeper understanding into the pain and devastation the soldiers and civilians experienced during the Civil War. I am very appreciative to these learned individuals for their candid and insightful explanations with each group.

General Robert E. Lee, Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia

When the Civil War began, the North was steeped in industry, possessed a transportation system and access to resources. The South, on the other hand, was an agricultural society, which relied on imports from the North. In addition, the South relied on the "peculiar institution" of slavery to maintain their plantation crops of cotton, tobacco, sugar and rice. I commend Heather Graham’s ability to weave romance and history into the fictional lives of the Cameron and McKenzie families. The reader shares the love and challenges of the heroes and heroines on both sides of the Civil War.

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