The Mulligans of Mt. Jefferson by Don Reid

The Mulligans of Mt. Jefferson

1959 – Virginia

Cal, Harlan, and Buddy grow up together in a small Virginia town in the years before the second World War. United by age, proximity, and temperament, they get into—and out of—all the trouble that boys manage to find. They even earn a nickname from a local restaurateur who gives the boys their first jobs and plenty of friendly advice. “Uncle” Vic calls them the Mulligans, because they always seem to find a way through a thicket of trouble—family problems, girls, college, war—to success. Cal and Harlan and Buddy have been blessed with second chances.

Now it’s 1959, and police lieutenant Buddy receives an early-morning phone call: his friend Harlan, a store owner, has been shot in a break-in. Cal, now a preacher, meets Buddy at the hospital, and together, as professionals and as friends, they begin to unravel what might have happened to Harlan.

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

asoundamongtrees A Sound Among the Trees

Present Day and Civil War Era – Virginia

A house shrouded in time.

A line of women with a heritage of loss.

As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

Avery’s Crossroad by Deanna K. Klingel

averyscrossroad Avery’s Crossroad

1863-65 – Virginia

Avery’s medical skill and Gunner’s friendly personality make the pair a welcome sight to the soldiers in the Civil War hospitals. But mending wounds is not the only challenge Avery faces. He realizes the real wounds of the war are the wounds of the soul. Avery finds hope for the future in his deepening friendship with Clair, a nurse from back home who shares his passion for medicine. Together they pray for the long war to end. Avery’s Crossroad, the sequel to Avery’s Battlefield, is the story of a boy, a dog, and their adventures during the last few years of the Civil War.

Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Shirley Kiger Connolly

Say Goodbye to Yesterday

1878 – New York

An unwed mother who disregards her childhood faith and gives up her innocence early is about to make a greater mistake that could change her life forever. When Annabelle Jordan’s secrets are discovered by an unforgiving church community, she and her daughters are booted from town. Now without home or future for her growing family, Annabelle, no longer young nor ready to rekindle a once-cherished faith — is convinced her only hope is to find the girls’ father and force the marriage he pledged but later abandoned, or raise her daughters alone which offers no guarantee of security. But when the irresistibly handsome man of faith, Major Carlton Radcliffe, pledged to a family of his own, crosses Annabelle’s path, he also steals her heart. To offer her daughters the future they so desperately need, Annebelle must make the right choice. She could vow never to marry again and raise her girls alone providing them with no respectable future; she could continue her journey to the one who rejected her twice already; or she could risk ruining the reputation of the one man who now occupies her heart. What other choice does she have?

The Resurrection of Nat Turner: Part 1: The Witnesses by Sharon Ewell Foster

The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses

1831 – Virginia

The truth has been buried more than one hundred years . . .

Leading a small army of slaves, Nat Turner was a man born with a mission: to set the captives free. When words failed, he ignited an uprising that left over fifty whites dead. In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand, brandishing a sword in the other. His rebellion shined a national spotlight on slavery and the state of Virginia and divided a nation’s trust. Turner himself became a lightning rod for abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and a terror and secret shame for slave owners.

In The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses, Nat Turner’s story is revealed through the eyes and minds of slaves and masters, friends and foes. In their words is the truth of the mystery and conspiracy of Nat Turner’s life, death, and confession.

The Resurrection of Nat Turner spans more than sixty years, sweeping from the majestic highlands of Ethiopia to the towns of Cross Keys and Jerusalem in Southampton County. Using extensive research, Sharon Ewell Foster breaks hallowed ground in this epic novel, revealing long-buried secrets about this tragic hero.

Avery’s Battlefield by Deanna K. Klingel

averysbattlefield Avery’s Battlefield

1861-62 – Virginia

When the unrest between the north and the south ignites into war, 14 year-old Avery Junior Bennett and his hound dog Gunner leave home on a family errand, taking them on a dangerous journey across the paths of people on both sides of the struggle. What can a simple farm boy bring to the war effort? A true heart, a healing hand, and a supply of courage and faith. Avery discovers his battlefield is in the hospitals where the anger and pain continue long after the fighting ends. Avery’s Battlefield is the story of a boy, a dog, and their search for peace in the first years of the Civil War. (This is book 1)

Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes

Lady in the Mist

1809 – Virginia

By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets: the names of fathers of illegitimate children, the level of love and harmony within many a marriage, and now the identity of a man who may have caused his wife’s death. Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, what he, a British nobleman, is doing on American soil working as a bondsman in the home of Mayor Kendall, a Southern gentleman with his eye on a higher office.

By chance one morning before the dawn has broken, Tabitha and Dominick cross paths on a misty beachhead, leading them on a twisted path through kidnappings, death threats, public disgrace, and . . . love? Can Tabitha trust Dominick? What might he be hiding? And can either of them find true love in a world that seems set against them?

Surrender the Wind by Rita Gerlach

Surrender the Wind

Pre/Post Revolutionary War – England and Virginia

When Seth Braxton inherits his grandfather’s estate in faraway England after the Revolution, he inherits more than an isolated manor house. He wins the heart of Juleah Fallows, the daughter of a landed gentleman, and Seth’s sister’s best friend. They become entangled in a plot that leads to kidnapping, murder, and betrayal in a stirring tale of fidelity and forgiveness.

‘This book is one of the most romantic I’ve ever read. The love that is poetically described between Seth and Juleah was rousing. This alone makes this book a page turner. I loved this book.’
Annette Temple ~ ‘A Well-Watered Garden Blog’

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Valent

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1932 – Virginia

Jessilyn Lassiter never knew that hatred could lurk in the human heart until the summer of 1932 when she turned 13. When her best friend, Gemma, loses her parents in a tragic fire, Jessilyn’s father vows to care for her as one of his own, despite the fact that Gemma is black and prejudice is prevalent in their southern Virginia town. Violence springs up as a ragtag band of Ku Klux Klan members unite and decide to take matters into their own hands. As tensions mount in the small community, loyalties are tested and Jessilyn is forced to say good-bye to the carefree days of her youth.

Washington’s Lady by Nancy Moser

Washington’s Lady

1731-1802 – Virginia

She dreams of a quiet life with her beloved George, but war looms… Though still a young woman, Martha Custis is a widow. But she is not without means and has no desire to remarry. Not, that is, until a striking war hero steps into her life and she realizes she is ready to love again. Yet she wonders whether this man, accustomed to courageous military exploits, can settle down to a simple life of farming and being a father to her children. Even as she longs for domestic bliss, Martha soon realizes she will have to risk everything dear to her and find the courage to get behind a dream much larger than her own. Known for moving first-person novels of Nannerl Mozart and Jane Austen, Nancy Moser now brings to life the loves and trials of the First First Lady of the United States.

Flame from Within by Shirley Kiger Connolly

Flame from Within

1864 – Virginia, Louisiana

A journey across the sea begins a journey of healing for Aimée’s soul and a discovery of love and faith she thought she’d never find. When a Yankee-induced fire destroys her family and her home, young plantation-bred Amethyst Rose finds herself on the run. Angry towards God and the men in blue, Amethyst’s only choice left is to move in with her elder and controlling sister, who runs a bordello in The French Quarter of New Orleans-a decision guaranteed to destroy Amethyst’s personal respect and tarnish her family name. With her bitter hatred towards all Yankees plunged into high gear, nothing seems to matter anymore, until, on a riverboat en route to New Orleans, she finds herself intrigued by the presence of not one, but two Union officers. Each in his own way find ways to tug at the heart and soul of this woman lost.

Spoke of Love by Cathy Marie Hake

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1750 – Virginia

The death of her husband forced Garnet Wheelock to become a mail-order bride. The torturous ship voyage was eclipsed only by the cruelty of her master in the New World of Virginia. But the Lord’s hand was upon her, and she has been bought by a new master and given a home. A widower of four years, Samuel Walsh longs for a women’s touch upon his home and family. The Widow Wheelock seems perfect for the task – she’s industrious and loving, and the children adore her. He’s vowed never to marry again, but when news of her pregnancy spawns accusations of impropriety, Sam weds Garnet to preserve his honor. Could their feelings run deeper than mere obligation? Can the Lord weave two broken lives together and create a future stronger than the past that haunts them?

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

abridemostbegrudging A Bride Most Begrudging

1643 – Virginia

When Lady Constance Morrow finds herself held against her will aboard a ship bound for the American colonies–a ship filled with “tobacco brides” and felons–she is quite sure that as soon as she arrives she will find a reasonable man who will believe her father is an earl and send her back on the next ship to England. Instead she meets Drew O’Connor, a determined Colonial farmer who is nearly as headstrong as she is. Drew wins Constance as his bride but soon realizes he has taken on much more than he bargained for

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Fire by Night Lynn Austin

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1861 – Virginia

Two young women in a land shattered by war test the limits of their strength.

Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do Philadelphia family. But when she fails to attract the attention of Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she shocks her family by becoming a Union nurse. Will that be enough to win Nathaniel’s heart?

Phoebe Bigelow, from western Virginia, has always been a misfit, and when her brothers join the Union army, she also enlists–under false pretenses.

Soon, both have their eyes opened to the realities of war and suffering. Neither is quite ready for the demands of her new life, but their journeys of sacrifice and love are sure to change them in unexpected ways.

Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin

Candle in the Darkness (Refiner’s Fire, Book 1)
1860 – Virginia

CAUGHT in a nation splitting apart.

ANGERED by those who would enslave others.

EMBOLDENED by a passion to make a difference.

TORN between the one she loves and a truth she can’t deny.

Here is Caroline Fletcher’s story.

Candle in the Darkness, Book One in the Refiner’s Fire series, tells the story of a timid southern girl who finds her voice as she begins to tell the truth about the atrocities around her. A short stay in the North confirms her abolitionist feelings, but when she returns to the South she finds herself torn between her home, a beloved suitor who doesn’t share her feelings, and the principles she knows are true. Standing for right may mean standing alone. Does she have the courage?

Shenandoah Home by Sara Mitchell

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1889 – Virginia

Two Mysteries to Unravel. Two Loves to Be Discovered. One Faith to Be Sparked Anew.

Two sisters wonder all their lives why their father hid mysterious objects in the secret drawers of their heartwood chests. But it will take two special men, and God’s perfect timing, for them to begin to see the answer through their Father’s eyes.

The cardinal feather… Free-spirited Garnet Sinclair has a growing reputation as a pen-and-ink artist–and a secret she has entrusted to only one man: Dr. Sloan MacAllister. But Sloan has a shadowed past of his own–one he must confront if he is to win the courageous and beautiful redhead who has captured his heart.

The gingerbread girl… Meredith, Garnet’s stubborn older sister, desires a fulfilling career…and love. Wealthy businessman J. Preston Clarke seems to be the answer to her prayers. But all is not as it appears, and Meredith will walk through fire before she finds true love in the last place she would ever dream.

Virginia Autumn by Sara Mitchell

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1895 – Virginia

The second and final novel in Sara Mitchell’s historical Sinclair Legacy series, Virginia Autumn traces the struggles and spiritual growth of young schoolteacher Leah Sinclair and her widowed father, Jacob.

Spinster schoolteacher Leah lives by intellect and reason, unable to relate to the rich, full-hearted faith of her father and two older sisters (whose stories are told in Book One: Shenandoah Home). Yet her dogged pursuit by devout naturalist Cade Beringer suddenly brings Leah face-to-face with her doubts and fears–and with the possibility that love can bloom where she least expects it.

As Leah falls in love, and with his other daughters married and gone, Jacob faces an uncertain future. He realizes that he is too old for adventure and too young to cease working. But when the terribly scarred concert pianist Fiona Carlton enters his life, he begins to suspect that he is not, and never will be, too old for love.

Linking together two old-fashioned love stories, Mitchell beautifully addresses God’s compassion, reminding readers that the Creator is intimately aware of our hidden places of pain, and that his love for us truly is unrelenting.

The Last Confederate by Gilbert Morris

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1860 – Virginia

At the conclusion of The Reluctant Bridegroom, the marriage of Sky and Rebekah Winslow prefaces a new chapter for another generation. What had seemed an impossibility is now coming to pass: God’s transformation of the Winslows into a warm and loving family. Making their way back from Oregon City, they now settle and prosper on a plantation in Virginia. Several years after their return from the West, a young Northerner named Thad Novak makes his way to the Winslow plantation and is taken on as a hired hand. What caused him to specifically seek out the Winslows? Should this Northerner be trusted? And with young ladies in the home, what are his motives? While the nation totters on the brink of war, both Thad Novak and the Winslows face conscription into fighting for a cause they do not support, and directly against Winslow relatives from the North!