With this Pledge

Author: Tamera Alexander
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Nelson, Thomas Inc., 2019
Pages: 448
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston's quietly held principles oppose those of the Southern Cause - but when forty thousand soldiers converge on the fields of Franklin, Tennessee, the war demands an answer. The Carnton home where she is governess is converted into a Confederate field hospital, and Lizzie is called upon to assist the military doctor with surgeries that determine life or death. Faced with the unimaginable, she must summon fortitude, even as she fears for the life of Towny, her fiancé and lifelong friend.

As a young solider lies dying in Lizzie's arms, she vows to relay his final words to his mother, but knows little more than the boy's first name. That same night, decorated Mississippi sharpshooter Captain Roland Ward Jones extracts a promise from Lizzie: that she intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate his leg.

Lizzie is nothing if not a woman of her word, earning the soldiers' respect as she tends to the wounded within Carnton's walls. None is more admiring that Captain Jones, who doesn't realize she is pledged to another. But as Lizzie's heart softens toward the Confederate captain, she discovers that his moral ground is at odds with her own. Now torn between love, principles, and promises made, she struggles to be true to her heart while standing for what she knows is right - no matter the cost.

Review: When I was browsing the library shelves, I thought this book would make a nice, easy novel to start off the year. Wow. The Battle of Franklin was as much a character in the book as the people. The research that went into this novel and how details of the battle were woven into the story. This is not the "fluff" read I was expecting. 

Although I was a history major and interested in Civil War, I am not as knowledgeable about battles in the West. I took a deep dive after reading this book. I watched youtube videos, read articles, and looked up some of the sources this author cited in the book.

Roland Jones and Elizabeth Clouston were real people. Carnton is still standing and open for tours.