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Book Review Pro | Karen Pool
Book Review Pro | Karen Pool
Author : Shauna Edwards & Alyson Richman
Genre : Historical Fiction
This historical fiction is based on the stories of Alyson’s two great-great-great uncles who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War and Shauna’s great-great-great aunt Janie, a Black woman who managed to become a financially independent landowner. It is born from the authors’ decades-long friendship as a Black woman and Jewish woman, each proud of their heritage. They explore the Civil War through two underrepresented lenses and illuminate the important and often overlooked tragedies of that time. They also show how ingenuity and creativity can bridge cultural divides.
Of the 2.75 million soldiers who  enlisted to fight in the Civil War, 180,000 Black men also volunteered. Just enlisting required great hardship. The Louisiana Native Guard fought at Port Hudson—and were massacred. This is a story of hardship, courage, and how a love for music creates and enduring friendship.
“The fresh recruit stood proud. A tattered Union jacket with missing buttons covered his white shirt. But at his lips he held a beautiful flute. Jacob realized right away that the instrument was far superior to the ones typically owned by military musicians. What was even more incredible to him was the man’s ability to perform such complex melodies composed by Mozart and Beethoven without gazing at a single pice of sheet music. . . Willie introduced a beautiful melody, as high and bright as sunshine. Jacob realized right away that the composition was neither classical nor modern; instead something purely of William’s imagination. It filled the space with such ease, the improvised notes had to belong to the fifth element, above the mere fire, water, earth or air.”
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