Title: Beloved Enemy
Author: Al Lacy
Pages: 364
Year: 2006
Publishers: Multnomah
Press
A novel about
love, forgiveness, loyalty, and more is what is encountered in the pages of
this novel. The novel I will share about
is the third in the series of “Battles of Destiny” by Al Lacy. Mr. Lacy shares how he has written books in
several different timeframes and how much reading he did about The Civil War to
gain knowledge about this historical event.
The main battle spoken of in this book is the first Battle of Bull
Run. In reading this book as an avid
reader about The Civil War, I can say that there are many historical facts in
the plot that are accurate, while the conversations, characters, and more are mainly,
though not exclusively, fictional.
There were at
this time in our nation’s history spies who had infiltrated the government sending
secret information to the South. As with
all wars, there are spies whose loyalties may be spoken toward one direction,
but lived in another. Ladies were used
as spies to carry the information because at that time they were thought to
draw less suspicion. Rose O’Neal
Greenhow is a character in the story who enlisted other women with southern
sympathies to carry information across enemy lines. These women did so with great conviction,
knowing they could be shot for being spies if caught.
Jenny Jordan is a
lady who lives in Washington, works as a secretary, which gives her access to
the many secrets and plans of the Union.
Her father, Jeffery Jordan, was a war hero whom President Lincoln asked
to be a military advisor to the Senate Committee. Even though Jenny was raised in the South and
is being pressured to join a spy ring, she hesitates. Why?
Buck, who gave
himself this nickname because his real name caused him embarrassment while
growing up, fell in love with Jenny the first moment their eyes met. Buck never knew about Jenny’s involvement, but
had courted her for some time before her father put a stop to it. Buck knew there was more to this decision,
but wasn’t able to find anything out. Buck rose through the ranks in the Union Army
for meritorious actions under fire. Will
his rank be enough to save Jenny from a firing squad? How can he free her from the certain penalty
of death? When Buck remembers an action
Jenny did while watching the fighting at Bull Run, he wonders if it would be
enough to receive a full pardon.
Convinced she had done this only once and under duress Buck rides to get
the reprieve before her execution. Will he
receive a reprieve for her or even make it back before the execution?
I loved reading
this novel. Yes, it has a love story,
but the action was what caught my attention.
The author does such a wonderful job painting scenes and actions with
words, I could almost see it in my mind’s eye.
It is a thrilling story with a touching ending; I loved it. Though I hadn’t read the other two novels that
were written before Beloved Enemy, it was awesome all by itself!
My rating is 4
stars.
Note: I received a
complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely
my responsibility. Other reviews can be
read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/
. Also follow me on Twitter
@lcjohnson1988.
