“Bondage comes in many forms, Doctor. Anger, bitterness, unforgiveness—they’s all shackles—and Massa Jesus, He has the keys. It’s Him who sets a man truly free.”
What is freedom? Kendy Pearson’s Civil War novel, When the Mountains Wept, shows a Virginia family, a wealthy doctor, and the country, all striving for freedom. The South battles the North; the Dabneys try to stir clear of the conflict, declaring, “This isn’t our war,” until finally, they are thrust in the middle of it. Augusta is trying to keep her family’s farm free from the bank, and Dr. James Hill is trying to escape the memories of his past.
I loved the relationships we see in this novel. Gus cares so much for her family and for her dying father. The love between family members is vibrant and alive. I love the faith and calmness that old Izzy brings to the family, as well. He is my choice for a fave secondary character with his intentional words, patience, and compassion for all.
Pearson exhibits a great deal of Civil War knowledge and teaches it through the Union army movements as relates to Dr. Hill’s commission. She also shows the sad division of our nation, even as friends and families splintered. This book is not for the squeamish!
I am glad to see there will be more books, as some family members need more of their story told.
I received a copy of the book from JustRead. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“We don’t choose our family, James. God does.”
“Wasn’t her own happiness a small price to pay for her family’s future?”
“We need Yo help, Lord—to forgive. We know if’n we don’t forgive them that sins against us, there’s no forgiveness for us. Help us to forgive, lest that unforgiveness grab hold of our lives and pull us down so low we can’t never get up.”
“He, too, believed Virginia was sovereign. But along with that, independence rode an ugly black horse called slavery.”