The widow of the south / Robert Hicks.
Based on true events the story follows the saga of Carrie McGavock, a lonely Confederate wife who finds purpose transforming her Tennessee plantation into a hospital and cemetery during the Civil War. Carrie is mourning the death of several of her children, and, in the absence of her husband, has left the care of her house to her capable Creole slave Mariah. Before the 1864 battle of Franklin, Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest commandeers her house as a field hospital. In alternating points of view, the battle is recounted by different witnesses, including Union Lt. Nathan Stiles, who watches waves of rebels shot dead, and Confederate Sgt. Zachariah Cashwell, who loses a leg. By the end of the battle, 9,000 soldiers have perished, and thousands of Confederates are buried in a field near the McGavock plantation. Zachariah ends up in Carrie's care at the makeshift hospital, and their rather chaste love forms the emotional pulse of the novel, while Carrie fights to relocate the buried soldiers when her wealthy neighbor threatens to plow up the field after the war.
Record details
- ISBN: 0446500127
- ISBN: 9780446500128
- Physical Description: 426 pages : illustrations, 1 map ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York : Warner Books, 2005.
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 419-421).
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- McGavock, Caroline E. Winder, 1829-1905 > Fiction.
Franklin, Battle of, Franklin, Tenn., 1864 > Fiction.
Plantation owners' spouses > Fiction.
Plantation life > Fiction.
Cemeteries > Fiction.
Tennessee > History > Civil War, 1861-1865 > Casualties > Fiction.
Tennessee > History > Civil War, 1861-1865 > Hospitals > Fiction.
Tennessee > History > Civil War, 1861-1865 > Fiction.
Williamson County (Tenn.) > Fiction. - Genre:
- Biographical fiction.
War fiction.
Available copies
- 73 of 77 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 2 copies available at McDowell County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 77 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion Library | FIC HIC (Text) | 37810434430517 | Adult Fiction | Checked out | 08/20/2026 |
| Old Fort Branch Library | NC FIC HIC (Text) | 37810434443098 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
