Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Flame From Within
Author: Shirley Kiger Connolly
Publisher: Vintage Romance Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-0-9793327-1-5
Release Date: May 2008
Genre/Sub-genre: Inspirational Historical Fiction, Civil War
Year/Setting: 1864, the South
Overall Rating: 3.0
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal/Some Moderate
Shirley's Website: shirleykoinonia.tripod.com
After her home and her family are destroyed in a Yankee set fire, Amethyst Rose is forced to run. She needs to get to New Orleans and try to find her sister. It’s reported that her sister owns and runs a brothel in The French Quarter. Upon arrival, she’s forced to move in with her sister, the madam.
Her hatred of God and men in blue escalates with each experience she goes through. Will anyone be able to find her and save her and if so, will they be in time? Will Amethyst lose her dignity and self-respect before she can get away from her sister? Can anybody reach beyond her wall of hatred and find the once carefree girl?
This was a unique look at the Civil War from the perspective of the Southerners who lost so much. It’s the inside story on the destruction of war and how it affected people on both sides. I felt angry at what Amethyst had to go through and wondered if anybody could ever save her. I found sections of the book (when Amethyst is at the brothel) to be dark and it was hard for me personally to get through those sections. I almost gave up on the book. Without giving away anything, I would encourage other readers who felt like I did to stick with it as it really does change.
I found great humor in the way God kept putting Yankee soldiers in Amethyst’s path so she had to start learning to deal with them. I was a little humorous to watch these interactions play out. It also made you wonder if she would ever see the admiration and possibility of romance that waited if she would stop treating Yankees so poorly.
Overall, it was a unique look at the events that help shape our country. I found it to be very historically accurate and could see and hear and smell what was described. For Civil War buffs, you will love every minute of reading this story.
Robyn
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