Wilderness Run

by Maria Hummel

Winter 1859: While exploring the frozen expanse of Lake Champlain, Isabel "Bel" Lindsey and her cousin Laurence hear a hoarse voice call out to them, the voice of a runaway slave.

The teenage children of wealthy Vermont lumber barons, Bel and Laurence decide to hide and aid the runaway. The choice catapults them from their sheltered upbringing into the central issue of their slavery and the future of the Union. Wilderness Run recounts their coming of age as it follows America's own loss of innocence after entering the Civil War.

Two years pass and Laurence is a soldier fighting in some of the war's bloodiest battles, while Bel, in the confines of her father's mansion, begins to fall for her French-Canadian tutor, Louis Pacquette-only to see him enlist for the Union. As Laurence and Louis become friends and serve in the same brigade, Bel starts to unravel a painful family secret. The history of family and nation come together when Bel goes to serve as a nurse in Washington, D.C., and after the terrible fires of the Battle of the Wilderness, reunites with the two men who love her.

Featuring vivid characters and visceral war scenes balanced by intimate portraits of domestic life, Wilderness Run is a powerful debut by a gifted young writer.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Civil War

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2002

Reviews

[Superstition Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American Civil War is a favorite subject among historical fiction enthusiasts in the United States. The heartrending notion of brothers and countrymen pitted against each other lends itself to family drama, while the fight between states' rights and human rights has been fodder for political commentary since the late nineteenth century. In her debut novel, Maria Hummel transcends the textbook accounts of the war, wrapping readers in both the viscera of the front lines and the heartbreak of the home front. Teenage cousins Laurence and Isabel "Bel" Lindsey are thrust into the war of ideals when they try to help a runaway slave escape to Canada. Laurence later enlists in the Union army, leaving his Vermont home for gray Potomac winters and deafening battlefields. Bel, who has been left behind, must unravel an uncomfortable family secret while keeping a few of her own under wraps. Maria Hummel is a gifted nonfiction writer, and her prose shines in Wilderness Run. Even the characters who have a purposeful vapidity were fleshed out beautifully, and the dynamic central cast of characters was even more so. The text has a way of sucking in readers; I wish had the joy of reading it all in one sitting, and reading it in a day sufficed.

By Julie Matsen

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a terrific book!! If you liked "Cold Mountain" then you should appreciate this tale. A brutal telling of a brutal time in American history. The physical sufferings of those in battle and the mental battles of the loved ones left at home are told in a well-researched and precise manner. I believe this is also Ms. Hummel's debut novel, just as "Cold Mountain" was Charles Frazier's first. Found this little gem in a bookstore in Todos Santos, Mexico for 7 pesos!! Perhaps the best deal I've ever had!!

[AlixJamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the debut novel of a poet, and well you can tell that she IS a poet. The writing was lyrical; but at times really confusing. I had trouble following her descriptions sometimes. She had an amazing plot idea, but she focused more on description than in the actual fleshing out of her characters and storyline. I REALLY wanted to know them better, but I was never given a chance.
I also found this book to be unnecessarily gory. I was really disgusted at times. The ending, which could have been so good, fell really flat. It just fizzled out. I don't know how anyone could have such an interesting plot to work with, and just throw it away like Mrs. Hummel did with poetic overflow and underdone characters. It was a sad waste.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is set in the midst of the Civil War. The main protagonists are Bel, a 15 year-old-girl at the start of the war, Laurence, her cousin a couple of years older and Louis, her french-canadian tutor. They all live in Vermont, a nice existence until a runaway slave appears and they learn about slavery personally. Laurence and Louis eventually enlist in the army and go on to fight in some important battles.This book has some nice descriptions of battles, and domestic life during the war, enough to get me to read the whole thing. But I could not get that excited about it.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for the beauty of the writing, but I had to drop one because the characterisation is poor in some places and the romance between Louis and Bel could have used some more work.

The civil war descriptions are brutally perfect though and definitely worth a read.

[Tierney Chabot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel the disclaimer that this author is a professional poet must be made up front. All the writing within the book can be understood with this lens. There is a lot of time spent on creating pictures with many, many words. They are wonderful pictures, artistically drawn, with many, many words. Much about the characters is meant to be inferred, so in that way, I didn't feel they were well developed. In fact, the entire book read as one very long poem. Now, to be fair, I hardly ever read historical fiction, so, I may not be the best opinion on the matter.

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was really NOT about two children who tried to help out a runaway slave. That happened in the first few pages and was a small event without much detail. I would only suggest reading this book if you are interested in war. For me, it was soooooo boring. I really loved Hummel's second novel, but this first one was not at all to my taste.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember to read this with thought. Read between the lines as I had to keep turning back to make the connections of things said or done. Great read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the Civil War, so not a breezy, easy read.
But this gal writes beautifully.