The Life and Redemption of Teddy Miller

by John W. Bebout

'The Cause of Darkness' and 'The Light from Darkness' combine to tell the story of a young man's epic journey in search of love and redemption. There are tears, tragedy and a final reckoning which will forever change the course of his life. The young man, Teddy, travels from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to the tip of Florida and back during the last months of the American Civil War. Along the way, he encounters heroes and villains alike that test both his courage and his moral character.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

318 pages, ebook

Published February 26, 2021

About the author

John Bebout is the 2021 winner of the eLit Bronze Medal for Historical Fiction. He is also a poet and has published his work in 'The Esthetic Apostle,' The Paragon Press' and 'Horseshoes and Hand Grenades' among others. In a former life, Dr. Bebout was a scientist who authored/coauthored more than two-dozen technical papers and articles. He has lived in Virginia for more than 30-years, a place where "adventure and romance are as common as honeysuckle growing on a fence line."

Reviews

[Tanya Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy books that are set in historical settings. My preferred era is during WWII, however, this book set in the time of the Civil War was exceptional. It is not focused on the fighting of the war, but the effects that the war has on one boy and his family. It is easy to see why he made the choices he made, why his family, friends and enemies responded to him the way that they did and still struggle to see how our own country decided to act the way that it did in response to the hardship that war created for everyone, whether North or South.

I would guess that all that happened to the main character never happened to one individual, or if so, that individual is indeed incredibly rare, but I'm sure that each thing that happened to him throughout the book happened to many individuals during and directly following the Civil War.

It was easy to connect with the characters, even those I didn't agree with. It was easy to feel like you were journeying the country and sea alongside Teddy.

[Christine L. Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly Great Read

I had no knowledge of this book prior to receiving it from Goodreads therefore no expectations of it being good or bad. It turned out to be great, imo. I don't need to give you the synopsis which is readily available. I enjoyed the storyline but was often surprised by the choices various characters made which propelled the story in a new direction. Our story hero, Teddy, is a young teen when the tale opens and his wisdom and maturity progresses as he becomes a young man. Mr Bebout does a subtle but masterful job demonstrating this. The story itself was a new and different perspective on the Civil War. Overall a delightful read for this historical fiction buff. Some wonderful peripheral characters. Well worth your reading time.

[Gale Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. The laundry is pulled up and I have a days work of housekeeping to do! Rarely do I keep reading a book without wanting to stop. You know the author writes wonderfully when you feel like it is poetry. I admit that the adventures are somewhat over the top-one too many-but I loved the book. I grew up in Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains are a part of my childhood.

[Kathy Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this Kindle edition book in a Goodreads
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
Great historical edition. Great story.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 16 year old boy, Teddy, who lives in the valley of Virginia, tries to save his Dad from being hanged by the Union Army, who has accused him of being a spy. The young man travels to Washington City down to the Florida Keys in hopes of reconciling with his Dad. The second part is him traveling back to Virginia to find his brother and to find the girl that he had fallen in love with during his escape from capture by the Union army and local guerrillas. Very good writing, kept you interested.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

This really deserved 4.5 stars. It was almost compelling but I was able to put it down occasionally. It definitely held my interest and gave a very human and unusual perspective on the Civil War. Man's inhumanity juxtaposed with an equally innate goodness and generosity. This book qualities as a favorite for making me think . Usually and unfortunately, I don't seem to think of rural, mid 1800's farmers as being so well educated.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Survival

The story of a young boy, Teddy Miller. Set during the Civil War, Ted and his younger brother Jed lose the only parent they had left. Then they lost everything they had. Jed was taken in by neighbors. Ted had to fight for everything; family, love, justice, his land… In the end, people got what they deserved.

#GoodreadsGiveaway

[Joy Rosales]

DNF @ 44%
I received this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway.
There were parts of this book I liked, I was intrigued by Teddy as a main character and the prospective he gave on the civil war, but I found the plot a little meandering and it just wasn’t engaging enough to encourage me to continue.