Grayback: Long Road to Damascus

by S.H. Ford

Bertram Tambling is the last boy on earth to be afraid of the dark... until he goes blind. Cunning spy, scout, and deadly sharpshooter, Bertram is highly prized by the Confederate Army. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, he finds himself blind--and in the wrong uniform. Now he must fight for his true identity without losing his life. Bertram “Ben" Tambling is skilled as a sharpshooter—a skill he eventually finds to be a curse. Asked to take on a mission that takes him behind enemy lines, he is wounded while in an enemy uniform. Taken in by distant relations who are unknowing of his true loyalties, Ben must learn to “follow where fate leads him.” He eventually finds himself in the Monadnock Valley of New Hampshire where he finds friendship, family, and love, yet does he truly belong? Deep down his adventurous spirit and beloved South keep calling and when he is well enough to return he must decide where fate is calling him to be. Readers will be taken from the battlefields of Virginia to the cities of New England—and back again. Rich with historical detail yet fast paced. Recommended for grades 8 and up.

302 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2013

Reviews

[Debra Lochtrog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Told from the perspective of a young boy as he grows to manhood. Ford pulls you in to being there along with the complexities of war.

[Bradley Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for an historical novel that explores the motivation and hardship of the Confederate soldier, as well as contrasts that experience with the Northern societies at the time, this one is it.

Bertram Tambling, a 14 year old soldier from Virginia and son of a pre-war musician turned sharpshooter, is a prized asset of the Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army. When a secret assignment goes wrong he finds himself unexpectedly behind enemy lines with no means of escape.

Through flashbacks and discussions, situations and trials, Bertram's story and motivations begin to be told, along with his reasons for fighting and his love for his native state. This is not a novel that focuses on the generals and political figures of the time; it is an exploration of the mind of the common soldier, the choice between loyalty to a cause and the option of comfort far away from the front.

I highly recommend this novel, which is first of several in a series that continues to follow young Bertram Tambling beyond April 1865.

[Emily Sorrells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous read! well -researched and written so well I got lost in the time period while reading. I highly recommend this for any fan of civil war history, or any fans of adventure books in general.