Everything We Lose: A Civil War Novel of Hope, Courage and Redemption

HISTORICAL:  In 1861 Tennessee, few white folks would side with the Union as the Civil War begins. When Adam Brown’s father dies fighting for the Union and he is left to defend his mother and sister, the war seems even more pointless. When Adam tries to help his slave friend, Tip, it sets off a chain of events that sends Adam running, while Tip is sold to a drunken master who delights in torture. To survive not only the war but their pasts, both Adam and Tip will make choices that not only affect themselves, but the ones they love but leave behind. As the American Civil War rages on, lives will change, and survival will come at a cost.

A historical novel about finding courage and honor in the worst circumstances, “Everything We Lose” uses alternating points of view between Adam and Tip to show the Civil War and what it meant to both blacks and whites from the south. Showcasing some of the worst people had to offer in that time, there are mentions and scenes of molestation, rape, and torture, but the story also counters these awful events with action, character growth, hope, dreams lost and redeemed, and more. While the story has a tendency to use time skips a lot, and the plot isn’t exactly new, several accurate events from the war are featured, and the story does have a happy ending. Overall, fans of Civil War novels will find this book a good read.

Sarah E Bradley