Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia by Jessica James

BN synopsis:

Cast your eyes back to the noble and daring achievements of men who preferred death to dishonor, and showed the world how they valued the rights and liberties of their land...

Set in Virginia during the volatile period of the Civil War, Shades of Gray chronicles the clash of a Confederate cavalry officer with a Union spy as they defend their beliefs, their country, and their honor.

Though laced with historical detail, it is less about the clash of armies on the battlefield, as it is about the clash of loyaly and love with honor and conviction.

My thoughts:

I cannot remember how I found this book but I marked it to read in July for the 2009 Southern Reading Challenge. I'm very glad I did. I had a tough time putting it down - which is something since it is a book about the Civil War.

War novels are not a genre I tend to enjoy. That said, it's more about people than battles. There are plenty of battlefield scenes but the real story is the one involving Alex Hunter, a Confederate officer and Sinclair, a Union spy.

Ms. James wrote a wonderfully paced novel that kept my attention throughout. I think she shows a gift for believable, intelligent dialogue. Although the epilogue told more than I needed/wanted to know, I really hated to see the story end and will count the book among my favorites for the year.

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2009 Southern Reading Challenge