Review: I Shall Be Near To You

 

 I Shall Be Near to You

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Books (September 2, 2014)

In I SHALL BE NEAR TO YOU, McCabe introduces us to newlywed Rosetta Wakefield. More accustomed to working as her father’s farmhand and happiest doing what others might call “man’s work,” Rosetta struggles with how to be a good wife to her childhood beau and new husband, Jeremiah. When Jeremiah leaves home to join the Union army, Rosetta finds the only way she can honor Jeremiah is to be with her husband—no matter what..

Cutting off her hair and donning men’s clothing, Rosetta enlists in the army as Private Ross Stone so that she might stand beside her husband. Joining, however, is the easy part, and now Rosetta must not only live and train with her male counterparts as they prepare for imminent battle, but she must also deal with Jeremiah, who is struggling with his “fighting” wife’s presence, not to mention the constant threat of discovery..

In brilliant detail, inspired by the letters of the real Rosetta Wakeman, McCabe offers a riveting look at the day-to-day lives of these secret women fighters as they defied conventions and made their personal contributions to history. Both a tender love story and a hard look at war, I SHALL BE NEAR TO YOU offers a unique exploration of marriage, societal expectations, and the role of women in the Civil War through the lens of a beautifully written novel..


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 My Review:

This book had me from the first word. I do so love a female character with gumption and strength, and Rosetta was definitely a strong character! I really liked how she did what she thought was best, no matter the consequences and no matter what anyone said. Yes, the "disguising herself as a man" trope isn't new, but in this case it was done so well that it felt fresh!

I was pleased by the writing too! It's books like this that make me want to venture into Historical Fiction more often! The plot was seamless and delightful, and the characters were vivid. I will most likely read more from this author. 

A great read!