Review 26: Going Home

Going Home. James D. Shipman. 2015. [July] Lake Union Publishing. 350 pages. [Netgalley Ebook:]

First sentence:  Joseph woke to the high-pitched shrieking of the rebel yell.

Premise/Plot: From the back cover - Brought to the New World from Ireland, young Joseph Forsyth is soon betrayed by his alcoholic father and separated from his beloved family. As he grows older, he finds his kind nature exploited by others—including an alluring young woman named Lucy—until he gets swept away by the conflict that divides a nation.
After the bloody siege of Petersburg, Joseph floats in and out of consciousness at a Union army hospital. Keeping vigil at his side is Rebecca Walker, a nurse and widow all too familiar with the horrors of war. As Joseph fights for his life and Rebecca struggles to follow her heart, both face a devastating choice: whether to hang on to the wounds of the past or move on to an uncertain future.
From the fields of Ireland to the metropolis of Quebec to the battlefields of Virginia, Going Home follows one man’s quest for his place in a world still healing from the wreckage of war

My thoughts:  From the first chapter I was pulled into the world of young Joseph and all of his trials and tribulations. This story unfolds by telling two stories simultaneously the present in a war hospital and the past following his journey from Ireland to Canada to New York.  All while trying to find the family that abandoned him to a like of enforced apprenticeship.  This is a brilliant read learning about the persecution that Irish immigrants suffered when coming from Ireland to the United States back in the mid 1800’s.  I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed reading this book!  The struggles that the main character faced first being so blindly loyal to his father then selflessly giving in to his young wife’s every demand.  The qualities that he demonstrated time and time again, selflessness, his work ethic, loyalty, leadership, never give up attitude, and most importantly his ability to love no matter what the popular beliefs are.

Rating 9.5/10

Recommendation:  Anyone that enjoys historical fiction specifically the Civil War era of American History.

*I received a digital review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*