Warfield

Your Winding Daybreak Ways #1

by Gary Bargatze

An Old-Fashioned Family Saga Featuring the Sweep of American History Over Two Centuries.

Thomas never saw the world in shades of blue and gray. But with the Civil War approaching, he and his family must adapt to the new world around them if they are to survive.

Storytelling and historical fact come together in this powerful start to the critically acclaimed ten-part series, Your Winding Daybreak Ways. With a brief prologue and the coming-of-age novel, Warfield, author Gary Bargatze launches an epic saga, one that weaves history, science, literature, the arts and music into a powerful narrative of how one family adjusts to the ebb and flow of American society over two hundred years.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

303 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2015

About the author

Gary Bargatze is the author of Warfield, Happy Hollow, Hurricane Creek, Hollow Rock, McGill, Cabedelo, Thunderwood, and Babylon, the eight works in the critically acclaimed ten-part fictional series, Your Winding Daybreak Ways, comprised of a prologue, epilogue, seven novels and a novella. Mr. Bargatze divides his time between Williamsburg, Virginia, and the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Reviews

[ChristaC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!
Although set in my least favorite time period (the civil war!), the story line is engrossing, the characters are enjoyable and the entire book is entertaining. The book is so intelligently written I felt smarter with every turn of the page. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.

[Sheila Keenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warfield is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered what life ‎was like in our nation during the Civil War era. With elegant prose, Mr. Bargatze ‎compellingly depicts this coming of age story with accuracy and heart. The authenticity of the ‎dialogue, the customs, and the culture spring from the author's credible knowledge of the ‎period, while the richness and depth of characters reveal Mr. Bargatze's insight and ‎sensitivity to the human condition. As the reader follows young Thomas and his family through ‎their fictional journey of love, loss, fear, and courage, the universal complexities of life ring ‎true amid the historically documented events of the Civil War. Warfield remains a timeless ‎story with history lessons and lessons of life. A saga worthy of the big screen! ‎

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Warfield' is a narrative containing detailed references to historical facts explained by the fictional characters who lived through them. The storyline flows easily through different perspectives created by changing the narrator as different events need explaining, yet maintaining a continuum by returning to the voice of the main character's narration throughout the book.
Positioning the family home so closely to the town of Warfield highlights how used to turmoil the family would have been, and this is reflected in how easily harrowing events just close by are part of everyday life to them.

The family are deeply religious and look for comparisons of new experiences to explanations from the Bible, yet, see nothing wrong with the ownership of slaves which is acceptabe to them as their living standards are not dissimilar to the main family. In many respects they see it as an obligation to care for them. The book also explains how they regard sending slaves to fight and possibly die for a cause which was detrimental to their own situation as slaves, was seen as perfectly acceptable.

The child at the beginning of the story sees a sort of idyllic lifestyle which is heavily reliant on his religious beliefs. His own ideas change with experience as he grows to adulthood at the end of the book where he is preparing to move on to the next stage of his life away from Warfield.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and increasing my knowledge of this period in American history, and I look forward to the next volume.

I received this book free of charge from the Goodreads website, but it has in no way influenced my opinion of it.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am giving this book 2 stars to mean it was OK- it was alright, not my favorite, but not terrible either. "Warfield" is part of a series but written as a stand-alone during the Civil War, following a family caught up in the events in the south. The writing was well done without typos/glaring errors, but I found it to be pretty dry in presentation without a storytelling flair (not sure exactly how to describe this but it's not my favorite style). Although it is a fictional story, it almost read like nonfiction in terms of accounts of what was happening with the family. I also would have liked more context for the events presented in terms of the war and what was happening where and when. I felt that the story could have been in almost any war (which was maybe the point), but it would have been nice to get some more context in terms of the Civil War and what was happening around the family. However, it was decently written and likely has an audience who will enjoy this style and book. Please note that I received this through a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.

[Pam Mchale · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's obvious the author has the depth and knowledge of history, along with his ability to bring you in close to the period. To feel for the people and to admire their unrelenting spirit. They face each day in dire conditions and never give up. Such an inspirational and heartfelt story that makes you want more. Looking forward to the next chapter (book) in the series....

[Henrique Villaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through his imagination, knowledge and mastery of prose, Mr. Bragatze has created a marvelous book and a distinguished set of profound, meaningful human characters. His effort resulted in quite an accomplishment: an original historic view on his beloved America, enabling the reader to learn America’s history through a wonderful story full of poetry and humanity. I hope millions of readers around the world get to read this book.

[Dana Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found a new book series to get anxious for and wait for new books. I won Warfield and Happy Hollow in a Goodreads giveaway and enjoyed them both immensely. I have already purchased Hurrican Creek and Hollow Rock and can't wait for them to arrive. You have my interest Mr Bargatze. Thank you for the opportunity to read these wonderful books.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway. I love history and I found this book intriguing and impossible to put down. I found that I was sucked into the lives of the characters, and it was almost as if I were standing next to them. I loved this book.

[Carol]

Terrific!