A Farm in Pennsylvania

With the Civil War ongoing and thousands of men wounded, missing or dead, John Dorian has little hope of finding his younger brother alive after the battle of Gettysburg. Still, unwilling to give up hope, he rides to the war-torn city in hopes of locating his brother alive or dead. He couldn’t fathom the devastation awaiting him or that the answer to his personal struggles would await him. Yet, stumbling down the wrong road leads him to a farm run by Maria Angelina Alvarez Samuels and her son, who quickly inspires him to do more than search for his brother. Torn between social conventions and the need to rescue her from her abusive marriage, John must decide what he really wants in life and if fighting for what’s right is restricted only to the battlefield.

A historical romance set during the turbulent Civil War, “A Farm in Pennsylvania” tells of the time between the battle and Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. With interesting historical facts strewn throughout the book telling of some of the local efforts, the main focus of the story is on the difficulty families faced in locating their lost sons and the affair between John and Maria. With a solid plot and plenty of buildup, the characters almost jump off the page. Although the ending leaves a few loose ends, and the story is slow to move at times, the action and history intermingled on the page will keep many historical romance fans involved from start to finish.

Sarah E Bradley