Andrea Boeshaar's A Thousand Shall Fall ~ Reviewed

A THOUSAND SHALL FALL
Andrea Boeshaar
Series: Shenandoah Valley Saga
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (November 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825443814

Description: 


Nineteen-year-old Carrie Ann Bell is independent and spirited. The only thing she really fears are the Union soldiers fighting against her Confederate friends. When her youngest sister runs away from home, brave Carrie Ann is determined to find her and bring her back. Disguised as a soldier, she sets off--only to find she's fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Her childhood friend Confederate Major Joshua Blevins has warned her against these Yankees: they're all devils, ready to inflict evil on unsuspecting young women. When Colonel Peyton Collier arrests her for her impersonation of an officer, it seems to confirm all her fears.

Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel. He rescued her, protected her, and has been every inch the gentleman. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally--and more than that, someone she could love. But the arrival of Joshua in the Union camp as a spy will test her loyalties. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, A Thousand Shall Fall is framed around compelling characters and a very romantic setting in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Andrea Boeshaar’s extensive research guarantees historical accuracy and romance genre enthusiasts and Civil War buffs alike will enjoy the Christian perspectives on actual historical events.

Review:


A Thousand Shall Fall tales place in the autumn of 1864 during the Civil War. A young woman named Carrie Ann Bell, leaves a difficult family situation disguised as a Union Soldier, looking for her runaway sister. Instead of finding her sister, she finds herself in the middle of a battle, and is captured by the Union soldiers, mistaking her for a deserter. When it's discovered that she is really a woman, Colonel Peyton Collier of the Union cavalry takes her under his wing. As time progresses, they begin to care for each other. Peyton decides to send Carrie Ann to his Aunt Ruth's house for protection. In the meantime, Carrie Ann is in contact with a childhood friend who is fighting with the Confederates, and the secrets she's promised to keep could cause more problems then she realizes.

I say every time how much I enjoy these period books, and this one is no exception. To see what people had to go through during that time, and the fact that families and friends were fighting each other is just heartbreaking. I admired Carrie Ann's willingness to do what she could, not only to find her sister, but to care for wounded men after battles, no matter what side they were on. This was a great book and I can't wait to read the second one!

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers