A Heartbeat Away by S. Dionne Moore, Book review

Publisher: Abingdon Press (May 1, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-1426752704

Synopsis:

 
When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.

Her mother's mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt's message to its greatest test---but can betrayal be forgiven?

 

Here are my thoughts:

S. Dionne Moore writes a fascinating account of Civil War heinous battlefields and the hapless civilians caught in its maelstrom in 'A Heartbeat Away', #7 of a series called 'Quilts of Love or Every Quilt Has A Good Story'. 
The plotline highlights in particular the skirmishes of 14-18 Septembre, 1862 betwixt the Union forces under the command of General McClellan and the Confederated forces led by General Lee at South Mountain.

Beth, a Union sympathizer wishes to become a nurse. Together with her caring Grandmother Gerta, the two women faced with the horrors of the battle of Antietam, offer whatever comfort they can to the weary survivors, no matter which side they belong to. 
Amongst the pandemonium a Confederate soldier is brought to their home, grievously wounded, by three running away slaves.
As Beth cares for the young man, she alternates between fear, hope and desolation as past events haunts her. Meanwhile Confederate Joe is dealing with demons of his own and faces a crippling future. 
Both young people turn to each other in the midst of the raging battle, Beth fearing her new feelings might not be reciprocated whilst Joe struggles to remember what happened to him and who brought him to relative safety. 

As historical facts goes, S. Dionne Moore's writing takes your breath away with accurate reenactment of those tragic times. You might just hear the minie balls whistling by, hear the formidable cannonading and the constant cries for mercy from the wounded on the battlefield. 
Joe's fear and nightmares reflect the enormous cost of warring to soldiers everywhere!

The storyline behind the colourful quilt was interesting and brought to mind the many women who carefully assemble quilt blocks, in themselves messages of faith and remembrances, for future generations.

Not until the epilogue will you find out why Joe found himself on the other side of the Potomac or if there is a future for Beth and Joe so enjoy a well turned work of fiction despite the often brutal reality of fratricide war! 

4 Stars!

Meet the Author:

Dionne Moore is a historical romance author who resides in South Central PA with her family, surrounded by the beautiful Cumberland Valley and lots of fun, historically rich locations. She is a weekly contributor to "The Borrowed Book", a blog for book-lovers and "Cozy Mystery Magazine", for all things cozy mystery. 

Vist her website (HERE)

Landing page: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/smoore

 

I received this book from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.