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When Johnny Came Marching Home
"A solid historical from Edgar-winner Heffernan."
-- Publishers Weekly
“Mystery fans will zip through this, fans of historical fiction will enjoy the fin de guerre mood.”
-- Library Journal
“Heffernan swings his vivid tale back and forth between past and present, war and peace—a neat tour de force he pulls off with admirable assurance.”
-- Kirkus Reviews
“Heffernan, three times nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and an Edgar Award winner, knows his history and his mysteries . . . This is really a story of war and redemption and what happens to idealistic kids who have to turn into killers.”
-- Globe & Mail (Canada)
"Moving back and forth in time, the well-paced narrative involves the reader with powerfully vivid descriptions of horrendous battles like the Wilderness and Gettysburg, of terrible raids on civilians, and of great physical and mental anguish suffered by the soldiers. Heffernan skillfully presents a realistic and evocative tale of war and its lingering effects."
-- Historical Novels Review
"Sliding back and forth in time—before, during, and after the Civil War—William Heffernan creates a powerful, intriguing, and complex novel about the intricacies of friendship and the devastating effects of war."
-- Jonathan Santlofer , author of The Death Artist
" When Johnny Came Marching Home evokes a young soldier's reluctant relationship to violence and brutality with a chilling realism that brings the reader face-to-face with the moral complexities of even the most noble of wars. Following in the literary tradition of Ernest Hemingway, James Jones, and Larry Heinemann, William Heffernan is able to somehow find grace and beauty amidst the horror of battle."
-- Kaylie Jones , author of A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries
" When Johnny Came Marching Home is a carefully constructed and evocative Civil War–era tale that will hold you from first to last page. The author has a rare gift for transporting the reader in time and place. Put this one at the top of your list. No one does this kind of novel better than Heffernan."
-- John Lutz , author of Serial
When Johnny Came Marching Home is a mystery, a love story, and William Heffernan's best book to date. The novel tells the story of three boys who grow up in rural Vermont in a seemingly indestructible friendship, then see their lives ruined as they go off to fight in America's "great and noble war."
Trapped in a what appears to be an endless bloodbath—vividly presented with Heffernan's meticulous historical research—the boys gradually begin to change until their close-knit childhood ties are little more than a fractured memory. By war's end, one boy is dead, one returns a physically crippled and emotionally compromised man, and the third comes home as an unfeeling psychopath.
The novel turns on the subsequent murder of the psychopath, and the offer of redemption for the wounded young man who must investigate the crime. When Johnny Came Marching Home is a story about war and how it affects the lives of all who become a part of it, both directly and peripherally. Although set during the Civil War, this book casts shadows of what we endure today and the horrors to which young soldiers are subjected.
William Heffernan , a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, is the author of eighteen novels, including such bestsellers as The Corsincan , The Dinosaur Club (a New York Times bestseller), The Dead Detective , and Tarnished Blue (winner of an Edgar Award). Heffernan lives outside of St. Petersburg, Florida.
-- Publishers Weekly
“Mystery fans will zip through this, fans of historical fiction will enjoy the fin de guerre mood.”
-- Library Journal
“Heffernan swings his vivid tale back and forth between past and present, war and peace—a neat tour de force he pulls off with admirable assurance.”
-- Kirkus Reviews
“Heffernan, three times nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and an Edgar Award winner, knows his history and his mysteries . . . This is really a story of war and redemption and what happens to idealistic kids who have to turn into killers.”
-- Globe & Mail (Canada)
"Moving back and forth in time, the well-paced narrative involves the reader with powerfully vivid descriptions of horrendous battles like the Wilderness and Gettysburg, of terrible raids on civilians, and of great physical and mental anguish suffered by the soldiers. Heffernan skillfully presents a realistic and evocative tale of war and its lingering effects."
-- Historical Novels Review
"Sliding back and forth in time—before, during, and after the Civil War—William Heffernan creates a powerful, intriguing, and complex novel about the intricacies of friendship and the devastating effects of war."
-- Jonathan Santlofer , author of The Death Artist
" When Johnny Came Marching Home evokes a young soldier's reluctant relationship to violence and brutality with a chilling realism that brings the reader face-to-face with the moral complexities of even the most noble of wars. Following in the literary tradition of Ernest Hemingway, James Jones, and Larry Heinemann, William Heffernan is able to somehow find grace and beauty amidst the horror of battle."
-- Kaylie Jones , author of A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries
" When Johnny Came Marching Home is a carefully constructed and evocative Civil War–era tale that will hold you from first to last page. The author has a rare gift for transporting the reader in time and place. Put this one at the top of your list. No one does this kind of novel better than Heffernan."
-- John Lutz , author of Serial
When Johnny Came Marching Home is a mystery, a love story, and William Heffernan's best book to date. The novel tells the story of three boys who grow up in rural Vermont in a seemingly indestructible friendship, then see their lives ruined as they go off to fight in America's "great and noble war."
Trapped in a what appears to be an endless bloodbath—vividly presented with Heffernan's meticulous historical research—the boys gradually begin to change until their close-knit childhood ties are little more than a fractured memory. By war's end, one boy is dead, one returns a physically crippled and emotionally compromised man, and the third comes home as an unfeeling psychopath.
The novel turns on the subsequent murder of the psychopath, and the offer of redemption for the wounded young man who must investigate the crime. When Johnny Came Marching Home is a story about war and how it affects the lives of all who become a part of it, both directly and peripherally. Although set during the Civil War, this book casts shadows of what we endure today and the horrors to which young soldiers are subjected.
William Heffernan , a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, is the author of eighteen novels, including such bestsellers as The Corsincan , The Dinosaur Club (a New York Times bestseller), The Dead Detective , and Tarnished Blue (winner of an Edgar Award). Heffernan lives outside of St. Petersburg, Florida.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
14 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
William Heffernan
30 books12 followersWilliam Heffernan, a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, is the author of eighteen novels, including such bestsellers as The Corsincan, The Dinosaur Club (a New York Times bestseller), The Dead Detective, and Tarnished Blue (winner of an Edgar Award). Heffernan lives outside of St. Petersburg, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 16, 2023
A very well written book. I thought it was brilliant how the author drew us into the mid-1800s and kept us there throughout. It was the little things, like understanding the lifestyle of the Civil War era. An example, is when he described what they did with Limbs that had been amputated. Hundred percent accurate – – spot on!
His characters were very easy to understand, and he did a spectacular job of blending the personalities of the three young men who went away to war.
Additionally, the author did a spectacular job of using flashback and current action together in the story. For me, it was special because rarely are authors able to pull that off successfully .
Excellent book I highly recommend.
His characters were very easy to understand, and he did a spectacular job of blending the personalities of the three young men who went away to war.
Additionally, the author did a spectacular job of using flashback and current action together in the story. For me, it was special because rarely are authors able to pull that off successfully .
Excellent book I highly recommend.
June 28, 2015
A month after reading this book for a book club, I'm surprised to find myself thinking about this story. That's unusual for me, but the main character, Jubal, is such an honorable, moral man....and it had an impact on me. I loved how the author structured the story with 3 time frames. It was so well done that there was no trouble shifting between the different stories. Really liked this one.
January 11, 2014
A Civil War veteran, deeply scarred by what he and his childhood friends have experienced, returns to his Vermont home, where he must solve the mystery of who killed one of his comrades.
The story starts out in post-Civil War Vermont, but flashbacks fill us in on who these boys were and what happened to them in the War. The flashbacks are skillfully woven through present events so they never jar. At first, the bulk of the writing is in the present, but slowly the past begins to dominate the events. I think this is where the art of the author is most evident - as we read along, we realize we are actually waiting for the solving of two murders, that of Johnny and of Abel (we know these boys are dead right from the beginning, by the way). As the pace of the flashbacks gradually changes, the tension mounts. I've never seen any other writer do this. Masterful.
I believe anyone, even non-mystery readers, would enjoy this book. But Civil War buffs, especially, would find this a must-read. I'm not an expert, but I was told by someone who knows more about the War than I that he couldn't find a single historical inaccuracy.
What I know about the War is what I learned from the Ken Burns documentary. But this book surpassed even that great piece of film making with bringing the horror of it to my awareness. The blood, the violence, the evil it spawned, the waste, were all too real.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a serious, brilliantly written novel.
The story starts out in post-Civil War Vermont, but flashbacks fill us in on who these boys were and what happened to them in the War. The flashbacks are skillfully woven through present events so they never jar. At first, the bulk of the writing is in the present, but slowly the past begins to dominate the events. I think this is where the art of the author is most evident - as we read along, we realize we are actually waiting for the solving of two murders, that of Johnny and of Abel (we know these boys are dead right from the beginning, by the way). As the pace of the flashbacks gradually changes, the tension mounts. I've never seen any other writer do this. Masterful.
I believe anyone, even non-mystery readers, would enjoy this book. But Civil War buffs, especially, would find this a must-read. I'm not an expert, but I was told by someone who knows more about the War than I that he couldn't find a single historical inaccuracy.
What I know about the War is what I learned from the Ken Burns documentary. But this book surpassed even that great piece of film making with bringing the horror of it to my awareness. The blood, the violence, the evil it spawned, the waste, were all too real.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a serious, brilliantly written novel.
September 4, 2022
4.5 stars… what a terrific story. It is one of the best historical fiction books I have read that takes place during the Civil War. I am not sure why more people have not read it. Though it had been on my TBR list for years. I am so glad I finally got to it. Check it out!
January 30, 2013
Set during and after the Civil War, Heffernan's novel follows three boys from rural Vermont. They share a close knit friendship which is shattered by the war: one dies, one loses an arm, and one comes home with deep and untreatable psychological scars. When the crippled boy becomes town deputy, though, he finds himself building a murder case against his surviving friend—the only man who understands the horrors which he saw south of the Mason-Dixon line. The story is solid, but the true strength of Heffernan's novel comes from its structure; the antebellum, wartime, and 'present' periods are weaved together beautifully, showing the lasting impact of the war upon individuals and illuminating aspects of our continually evolving understanding of our nation. Though he occasionally takes liberties with some details of the war and the men who fought in it, Heffernan can be quickly forgiven as he draws from U.S. history to create an engrossing historical novel not to be missed.
December 30, 2012
A quick read, but barely a mystery. That isn't to say it wasn't interesting, the aspects of how the War changed the characters was interesting, but I don't know if I'd normally consider it a mystery. It was on the most basic level, there was a murder and the book unravels who murdered that person, but I didn't care. As the book goes on that character becomes even more unlikable. There comes a point where you just don't really care who murdered him because he had it coming. The big mystery was what happened during the War to change these characters so severely, so I guess that's what made it a mystery because you don't really care about the murder aspect. In all, a decent, quick read.
December 7, 2012
I had never heard of the author, but as a sucker for Civil War-set mysteries (like the Abel Jones series, or Sweetsmoke, to name the first that pop into my head), I picked this up. Cutting back and forth between three time periods, it tells the story of four Vermont playmates as they grow up to become teenagers in the years leading up to the Civil War, their time as Union soldiers, and immediately after. This kind of time-shifting can be cumbersome or confusing in the wrong hands, but Heffernan weaves back and forth with a minimum of fuss and no loss of narrative pace.
The hero is Jubal, who enlists in the Union Army with his friends, and returns home minus an arm. His father is the town constable and takes him on as his assistant while he tries to come to terms with his injury and the loss of his closest friend, Abel. Jubal is also in love with Abel's little sister, but his guilt at Abel's death and his own injury are holding him back from pursuing her. Meanwhile, their somewhat cruel friend Johnny went off to war and returned to the town as a monster. When he is murdered soon after his return, Jubal tries to untangle which of the many people who disliked Johnny might have done it.
The book does an excellent job at portraying an idyllic small-town childhood, the horrors of war, and the effect the war had on everyone. Scenes are vivid and fully realized, and the murder mystery is well conceived and developed. The battle scenes at places like Antietam and Gettysburg have an immediacy and realism to them, as does the depiction of Union Army life. There are a few minor missteps here and there, for example an unnecessary teary cameo by Lincoln, and the love story that gets a little too schmaltzy, but on the whole, it's a strong historical murder mystery..
After finishing the book, I poked around and learned that Heffernan won three Pulitzers for investigative journalism, wrote a series of police procedurals including an Edgar-winner, and has had books on the NYT bestseller list, so it's no wonder that one feels like they're in the hands of a pro while reading this book. I'd definitely like to see another Jubal book.
The hero is Jubal, who enlists in the Union Army with his friends, and returns home minus an arm. His father is the town constable and takes him on as his assistant while he tries to come to terms with his injury and the loss of his closest friend, Abel. Jubal is also in love with Abel's little sister, but his guilt at Abel's death and his own injury are holding him back from pursuing her. Meanwhile, their somewhat cruel friend Johnny went off to war and returned to the town as a monster. When he is murdered soon after his return, Jubal tries to untangle which of the many people who disliked Johnny might have done it.
The book does an excellent job at portraying an idyllic small-town childhood, the horrors of war, and the effect the war had on everyone. Scenes are vivid and fully realized, and the murder mystery is well conceived and developed. The battle scenes at places like Antietam and Gettysburg have an immediacy and realism to them, as does the depiction of Union Army life. There are a few minor missteps here and there, for example an unnecessary teary cameo by Lincoln, and the love story that gets a little too schmaltzy, but on the whole, it's a strong historical murder mystery..
After finishing the book, I poked around and learned that Heffernan won three Pulitzers for investigative journalism, wrote a series of police procedurals including an Edgar-winner, and has had books on the NYT bestseller list, so it's no wonder that one feels like they're in the hands of a pro while reading this book. I'd definitely like to see another Jubal book.
November 24, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Heffernan combined two of my favorite types of books -- mystery and historical fiction. In a nutshell, three childhood friends sign up with the Vermont volunteers to fight in the Civil War. One dies, one comes back an amputee and one comes back changed and is then murdered. Heffernan's use of flashbacks to the war interspersed with the solving of the crime makes this a good story on many levels. Well worth reading.
January 13, 2013
I thought this was a wonderful book. The author switched back and forth from events in the past to events in the present. I finished in 2 days and couldn't put it down. It was part mystery (both present and past events) and historical fiction. I will be looking for other books by this author.
January 16, 2013
This book was fantastic. It floats between three periods in the characters' lives: childhood, war time, and post war. The story revolves around a murder investigation, but it is more greatly about war and its impact on soldiers and their families and friends. I whole-heartedly recommend this book.
July 15, 2013
Very very good. History, suspense, mystery, romance - all bundled into this tale of three childhood friends from the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont - who go off to fight in the Civil War. One comes home without an arm, one comes home a psychopath, and one does not come home at all.
February 23, 2013
I picked up this book based on the subject matter at the local library and finished it in 3 days because it was that interesting.
January 15, 2018
For me this was a good read. It focused on men, their participation in battle and how they lived with/resolved the consequences of their battle observations and participation.
It leaned a bit too goody-goody. Bad guys punished and good guys eventually rewarded but that fit with the story line. Parts were not entirely authentic- to me the Vermont character dialect was more akin to West Virginian mountain more than New England brogue- but that is minor and debatable.
The flash back writing style was smooth, easy to follow and enhanced the story telling. It begins in present day (post war) and flashes to the pre war and then during war. As their prewar boyhood experience leads up to their marching orders, it flashes between their war action and the current day murder investigation.
It ends with the story line neatly tied up in a predictable way. While the characters were not intensely developed they were believable. It strikes me the author wanted to write about understanding relationships more than the people in them.
The reader gets a simplified glimpse into why war veterans return home with baggage and the author tries to introduce current day moral delimennas found in battle and how those delimennas influenced the development of his civil war characters.
I say try because the levels discussed are not deep. To me, (a veteran who did not see direct action) this book might assist the family and friends of veterans in understanding the immense hurdles they must deal with after battle engagement. It seems to me the author is making an attempt to help civilians understand why veterans return from battles as quite different people. While some Good Read reviews are of the opinion that this book covers horrible things about war, I would counter that the author only scratched the surface.
This book is suitable as a young adult read and discussion. To me the hidden the gem was Jubal's disclosure that war is directed by politicians (those governing us and defining our policy) and serves only to satisfy their political agendas.
It leaned a bit too goody-goody. Bad guys punished and good guys eventually rewarded but that fit with the story line. Parts were not entirely authentic- to me the Vermont character dialect was more akin to West Virginian mountain more than New England brogue- but that is minor and debatable.
The flash back writing style was smooth, easy to follow and enhanced the story telling. It begins in present day (post war) and flashes to the pre war and then during war. As their prewar boyhood experience leads up to their marching orders, it flashes between their war action and the current day murder investigation.
It ends with the story line neatly tied up in a predictable way. While the characters were not intensely developed they were believable. It strikes me the author wanted to write about understanding relationships more than the people in them.
The reader gets a simplified glimpse into why war veterans return home with baggage and the author tries to introduce current day moral delimennas found in battle and how those delimennas influenced the development of his civil war characters.
I say try because the levels discussed are not deep. To me, (a veteran who did not see direct action) this book might assist the family and friends of veterans in understanding the immense hurdles they must deal with after battle engagement. It seems to me the author is making an attempt to help civilians understand why veterans return from battles as quite different people. While some Good Read reviews are of the opinion that this book covers horrible things about war, I would counter that the author only scratched the surface.
This book is suitable as a young adult read and discussion. To me the hidden the gem was Jubal's disclosure that war is directed by politicians (those governing us and defining our policy) and serves only to satisfy their political agendas.
January 12, 2026
I did a quick internet search and blood testing was minimal in 1850. I couldn’t get an answer to the question, could they tell if animal or human blood on the suspected weapon. Still, that was not a deciding factor in determining the murder or I might have an issue. The focus on the tale wasn’t the historical accuracy which I didn’t take issue with. I thought there was a proper amount to remind me I was reading a story set during the Civil War. I thought the transitions between the different years was smooth and not confusing. I was involved in the mystery and wanted to know what happen and I cared about the main character.
April 2, 2024
I absolutely loved this novel! I’ve always wanted to hear a story just like this! Four boys who go off to war but they aren’t the same when they come home after the war. I love how the story flows along and truly tells the horrors of each the individuals as well as the group as war continues. Heffernan paints a wonderful picture of the evolution of these men as each man deals with the war in their own way but also how they all fell apart as well. I truly loved this novel from cover to cover!
April 7, 2018
I listened to this and have to admit that the fourth star is because of the excellence of the narrator. It was a vivid depiction of what life was like post civil war for the soldiers returning home. I really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of the book.
December 8, 2021
This story combined a murder mystery with a theme of the effects of war on combatants and civilians. The narrative captured, very well, the historical period of the American Civil War. The characters were well-developed. There was a satisfying resolution of the crime. This was a good book.
August 26, 2016
A raw and emotional story about the consequences of war . . .
When Johnny Came Marching Home follows the story of Jubal Foster and his two best friends, Johnny and Abel- country boys raised in the woods of Vermont. Inseparable, they do everything together, from hunting deer to pulling pranks and practical jokes; and when the call comes for them to serve their country, the three friends eagerly decide to enlist together to fight in the Civil War. But they soon discover that war is not as glorious and noble as they once thought, experiencing first-hand it’s consequences in the tolls it takes, and the effects it has on those who survive.
After the war, Jubal returns home with an amputated arm and a heavy heart, weighed down with secrets he must take with him to the grave. Abel has been killed, and only he and Johnny remain- but Johnny has changed, and is no longer the kind innocent boy he used to be.
Jubal takes a job as a deputy constable under his father, wanting nothing more than to find a way to carry on with his life, and to continue his courtship of Abel’s sister Rebecca. But when Johnny’s body is found murdered, Jubal must find the killer without revealing the secrets that would cause so much pain to his family and the tight-knit community to which they belong.
Switching seamlessly between past and present, Heffernan draws the reader in completely, revealing pieces to the story one layer at a time. Though I wouldn’t say this has the “twistiest” plot, or the most challenging mystery, I did think it was extremely well written and paced. I also enjoyed the author’s style, which is very smooth and believable. Heffernan’s ability to connect modern readers with the past is a rare talent. Though the story took place during the Civil War, he doesn’t attempt to put a filter on the events and people of the period- and in reading this book the reader gains the understanding that perhaps people weren’t so different back then as they are today. Beautifully written, this book is highly addicting- once you begin reading you won’t be able to put it back down. Highly recommended!
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review on my blog:EpicBookQuest.com
February 20, 2014
Growing up in Jerusalem Landing, VT 4 young men: Johnny Harris, Jubal Foster (Sergeant), Abel Johnson, & African-American Josiah Flood who were close friends soon join the Union army & they are quickly exposed to the harsh reality of the violence & brutality of the Civil War. The story plot goes back & forth of the men’s past/future.
Jesse Brown (62) a local Negro resident was found frozen to death.
Abel Johnson was killed during the Civil War, but how? Johnny Harris was captured & sent to Andersonville. After the War the other 3 men returned to Jerusalem Landing, Vt. Johnny Harris is murdered probably for several reason. He is/was a total psychopath & had caused a lot of problems with the local residents. The other 2 surely suffer from shell shock (PTSD).
1-armed Constable Jubal Foster, & his father Constable Jonas Foster try to uncover who murdered Johnny Harris. Several PPL are interviewed; Rusty LeRoche, Bobby Suggs (Andersonville) who was also in the Civil War with all of them & Walter Johnson. Jubal even goes so far as to exhume Johnny’s body & have his former Professor Dr. Evers do a medical examination on it.
Jubal also tries to rekindle the romance he once had for Rebecca Johnson, Abel’s sister. She however has some family secrets. Jubal had attended the University of Vermont & hoped to finish his degree after the war.
Will Jubal catch the murderer of Johnny Harris be caught/tried for the crime? Will Jubal go back & finish his degree? Will Jubal & Rebecca finally get married?
I love the book cover, the font size, paper (texture) & writing style. A very well written civilian/soldier personal life, a true/false historical account, suspense filled & the brutal reality of the Civil War written book. Easy to read from start/finish, with lots of twists/turns. It kept you on your toes. There were no misspelled words, or any out of line sentence story lines. This book would make another great Civil War movie or TV series. It was very easy for me to rate the book at 5 stars.
Thank you for the free book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Jesse Brown (62) a local Negro resident was found frozen to death.
Abel Johnson was killed during the Civil War, but how? Johnny Harris was captured & sent to Andersonville. After the War the other 3 men returned to Jerusalem Landing, Vt. Johnny Harris is murdered probably for several reason. He is/was a total psychopath & had caused a lot of problems with the local residents. The other 2 surely suffer from shell shock (PTSD).
1-armed Constable Jubal Foster, & his father Constable Jonas Foster try to uncover who murdered Johnny Harris. Several PPL are interviewed; Rusty LeRoche, Bobby Suggs (Andersonville) who was also in the Civil War with all of them & Walter Johnson. Jubal even goes so far as to exhume Johnny’s body & have his former Professor Dr. Evers do a medical examination on it.
Jubal also tries to rekindle the romance he once had for Rebecca Johnson, Abel’s sister. She however has some family secrets. Jubal had attended the University of Vermont & hoped to finish his degree after the war.
Will Jubal catch the murderer of Johnny Harris be caught/tried for the crime? Will Jubal go back & finish his degree? Will Jubal & Rebecca finally get married?
I love the book cover, the font size, paper (texture) & writing style. A very well written civilian/soldier personal life, a true/false historical account, suspense filled & the brutal reality of the Civil War written book. Easy to read from start/finish, with lots of twists/turns. It kept you on your toes. There were no misspelled words, or any out of line sentence story lines. This book would make another great Civil War movie or TV series. It was very easy for me to rate the book at 5 stars.
Thank you for the free book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
March 3, 2014
When Johnny came marching home. This is my thirth book I have received and read from Goodreads. This story takes place prior to civil war, during the civil war, and after. It is about three young men that are best of friends growing up together in rural Vermont. The three did everything together, they deer hunted, played games, built a wilderness fort, and stayed at one another's house. They were like brothers. One was a preacher's son Johnny, one was a store owners son Abel, and one was the constables son Jubal. The story is written in three different time periods. The boys grow up and they enlist into the civil war. Abel has a younger sister Rebecca, she is in love with Jubal and promises him to take care of himself,to write her,and to come back home okay. The three go off to fight in the civil war, and it is not what they thought it was going to be. They just want to be able to return home alive. All does not turn out that way. Jubal comes home minus a arm, and takes a job with his father as a deputy constable, Abel is killed in battle at the same place Jubal lost his arm, Johnny comes home a monster having played a part in Jubal losing his arm and Abel his life. Johnny has done some really bad things in the war and met some really bad people. Johnny is murdered and Jubal has to figure out who did it. This is a book you will not want to put down. It is a book all civil war buffs will want to read.
December 3, 2013
Disclaimer: I received my copy of this book free through the First Reads program. Also this is my first review on this site (though my shelves contain many, many books) and I intend to spend approximately five minutes on it.
This is a very good book. The first historical fiction I've read on the Civil War, and the first that has really highlighted all the really bad stuff that happened in that war. It did that well.
I'm not much of a mystery reader (except for that Nancy Drew kick when I was eight), but this was a good one.
I really liked Jubal (though I could never get over his name), Abel, and Rebecca as characters. The less likeable people were interesting.
There were parts that made me sick, things I know happen every day, and did happen during the Civil War, but the descriptions really got to me. And that's good. War sucks. Rape and murder and pillaging of innocents suck. And it's all nasty.
One thing that I didn't like, that I found unnecessary and distracting, was all the war stats for each battle (We had 60,000 and lost 15,000, blah, blah, blah) It would have been better with just descriptions of Jubal's feelings and what he sees, with maybe one or two particularly shocking numbers.
All and all, a great book. I would definitely recommend it, and am so glad to have won it.
Also, the title is fairly clever, which is commendable.
This is a very good book. The first historical fiction I've read on the Civil War, and the first that has really highlighted all the really bad stuff that happened in that war. It did that well.
I'm not much of a mystery reader (except for that Nancy Drew kick when I was eight), but this was a good one.
I really liked Jubal (though I could never get over his name), Abel, and Rebecca as characters. The less likeable people were interesting.
There were parts that made me sick, things I know happen every day, and did happen during the Civil War, but the descriptions really got to me. And that's good. War sucks. Rape and murder and pillaging of innocents suck. And it's all nasty.
One thing that I didn't like, that I found unnecessary and distracting, was all the war stats for each battle (We had 60,000 and lost 15,000, blah, blah, blah) It would have been better with just descriptions of Jubal's feelings and what he sees, with maybe one or two particularly shocking numbers.
All and all, a great book. I would definitely recommend it, and am so glad to have won it.
Also, the title is fairly clever, which is commendable.
December 3, 2013
"When Johnny Came Marching Home" was such a good read. William Heffernan has written a book that was so real it was like you were there. I was hooked from the very first page.
In a small Vermont community three friends grow up together doing the things boys do and leave together to fight in the Civil War. War was not what they thought it would be and they hope to just stay alive and return home. It follows them through the war and back to Vermont, for the ones who survive.
Jubal returns with a missing arm and becomes a deputy for his constable father. He also comes home without his close friend Abel, whose little sister Rebecca has loved Jubal always. Shortly after he finds himself trying to solve the murder of his other friend who the war had changed so much. And there is always Rebecca who never see's him as less than a whole man. Jubal must come to grips with his new reality. This is a love story, a story of the Civil War, and a murder mystery. Hard to put down!
My copy came through Goodreads.
In a small Vermont community three friends grow up together doing the things boys do and leave together to fight in the Civil War. War was not what they thought it would be and they hope to just stay alive and return home. It follows them through the war and back to Vermont, for the ones who survive.
Jubal returns with a missing arm and becomes a deputy for his constable father. He also comes home without his close friend Abel, whose little sister Rebecca has loved Jubal always. Shortly after he finds himself trying to solve the murder of his other friend who the war had changed so much. And there is always Rebecca who never see's him as less than a whole man. Jubal must come to grips with his new reality. This is a love story, a story of the Civil War, and a murder mystery. Hard to put down!
My copy came through Goodreads.
March 16, 2014
A fascinating peek into the life of a civil war soldier (although admittedly some will find it disturbing), both during the fighting and in trying to adjust back to civilian life--as the central character tries to solve the murder of a man who was once his boyhood friend. The book is obviously well-researched (with an author's note concerning bending of a few historical facts). Engaging reading. The dialect is perhaps a bit overdone--while the flavor is nice, it shouldn't be enough to trip or even slow the reader. Some will not be entirely pleased with the resolution, but it is realistic. The characters are complex, which is to say they act like real people, with conflicting emotions and loyalties. We see a group of boys enter the bloody conflict that changes them all, changes which pursue them as they try to put the war behind them. A good read.
I received the book for free through Goodreads.
I received the book for free through Goodreads.
February 19, 2013
This was an interesting story set during the post Civil War time in Vermont. The main character, Jubal, lost his arm at the Battle of the Wilderness and you are lead to believe that it wasn't just war related. The story bounces between the present time (post Civil war), where Jubal is trying to solve the mystery of a boyhood friend who he had gone to war with's murder, to pre-Civil War to tell the story of the boys' childhood, to during the Civil War and how the war changed each of the boys. The only thing that was kind of annoying was how the author would fall in and out of the dialect-sometimes the dialect was written in correct English and sometimes in dialect and sometimes it was hard to tell.
June 1, 2013
Meh. I will finish it, because I hate not finishing books. But it's not great. It's written in a mixture of flashbacks and present, all from Jubal's perspective, but I feel it doesn't really describe the events all that well. It's kind of like Jubal is trying to actually tell the story, as opposed to it being told from Jubal's point of view; but he isn't a very good story teller, and so it comes across as a not very good first draft. It's more like a recitation of facts than a story. So while I will finish it, I wouldn't recommend it.
August 22, 2013
I had really high expectations for this book, but didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. I'm not even sure why. I'll have to reread it sometime and see if I feel differently. I don't regret reading it or buying it, but I just wasn't riveted. I'd actually give it 3.5 stars. I think the author does a great job of blending the switch in time and setting, but the characters who intrigued me most were on the periphery of the story. And the main female character was pretty idyllic, which annoyed me.
December 23, 2013
I won this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads giveaways. Although the book jumps back and forth from times before, during and after the Civil War, I had no trouble keeping up with it. William Heffernan has created a very gripping story of war and how it affects everyone, whether they are fighting it or waiting for their loved ones to come home. I had trouble putting it down once I got started reading it. It was an excellent book.
June 11, 2014
This is more of a who-done-it taking place in during the Civil War, rather than a Civil War book which includes a mystery. That's not a problem however, as the character studies are excellent, and spends much time analyzing what war does to a soldier...and what happens when that soldier comes home. Things may be done in war, with the excuse that it's a WAR...this book shows how that line is sometimes crossed. An enjoyable book for mystery fans and/or Civil War buffs.
February 11, 2014
This book was won from the Goodreads giveaway contest. I really kind of liked it, not a bad book. If you are into Civil War historical fiction or even non-fiction, this book might be for you. It was a little bit unusual in that it was combined with a mystery. Well written, and I wouldn't hesitate to read something by William Heffernan again.
September 18, 2013
I'm not generally a fan of stories told out of sequence, but for this book I make an exception. Here it just seems to work, heightening the suspense regarding not only the murder but also the mystery surrounding what Johnny had done in the war and who exactly he had become along the way.
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