Synopsis
Book 2 of Refiner's Fire. The drama of the Civil War unfolds through the eyes of two very different Northern girls. Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do family, but when she fails to attract the attention of Rev. Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she determines to bring meaning to her empty and shallow existence. When she becomes a Union nurse, her eyes are opened to the realities of war and suffering. She also meets Phoebe, who has entered the army under false pretenses--and whose journey to understanding herself, as well as the tumultuous world about her, is revealed with sensitivity and drama.
Kathy Egner, Ph.D. - Children's Literature
This inspirational work of historical fiction is the second book in Austin's "Refiner's Fire" series. The setting is the American Civil War, where the lives of two very different young women intersect. Julia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia family, sets out to prove that she is not as vain as the man she loves thinks she is. She is determined to become a nurse, and she must overcome quite a few obstacles in order to do so. In the process, she is transformed into a much more mature and compassionate person. Phoebe, a tall, homely girl from Western Virginia, dresses as a man and joins the Union Army rather than be confined to wearing a dress and working for Miz Haggerty. The well-written story portrays a mixture of romance, greed, grief and transformation. Although this book won the Library Journal's Best Christian Fiction Award for 2003, it is not a preachy, one-sided, stereotypical Christian book. Some of the Christians in the book are compassionate, caring human beings while others are not. Likewise, some of the strong characters are not Christian. In the end, love and strength of character prevail. This book is recommended for young girls who have a love for the stories of history. 2003, Bethany House, Ages 12 to 16.