The Stamp of Heaven, by Julia Robb *Review* Lone Star Book Blog Tour
by
JULIA ROBB
Genre: Historical Fiction /
Civil War
Publisher: self-published
Date of Publication: February 19, 2019
Number of Pages: 196
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down for Giveaway!
But Lieutenant Kerry's luck changes when he runs into Sergeant Ike Jefferson and says, "The last time I saw you, I had you bent over a barrel and I was whipping you.” Ike is not only Beau's best friend (or worst enemy, depending on the day), he's Beau's former slave -- and Ike knows there’s a $5000 price on Beau’s head.
Caroline Dietrich has vengeance on her mind. Married to Colonel Wesley Dietrich, the Union fort commander, Caroline believes the best path to getting revenge against the Yankees, her husband included, is seducing her husband’s officers. Especially Beau.
From the killing fields of the Civil War, to the savagery of the Indian wars, the characters are also battling each other and searching for what it means to be human.
5-STAR PRAISE FOR THE
STAMP OF HEAVEN:
"Her
characters are vivid, relatable, and endearing. She brings to life the rigors
of frontier duty, the harsh beauty of west Texas, and the complexity of war and
reconciliation. A must read!”
"Julia
Robb creates a masterful tale of friendship, loyalty, cowardice, deceit, and
redemption in this fascinating story set in the aftermath of the War Between
the States...Not a simple western yarn, this novel will keep you thinking and
asking the Big Questions long after you finish reading it.”
The Stamp of Heaven, by Julia Robb, is an intriguing look at a handful of diverse Americans with different troubles after the Civil War, each with choices between good and bad, each with different paths. Each time I managed to put the book down, I kept thinking about it, wanting to come back to it so that I could find out more about the lives of the characters and how they would make it through their precarious positions.
First is Lieutenant Beau Kerry, newly stationed to Fort Davis, who was clearly hiding much, including his actual name. I was intrigued to know how he came to be in his post and how he'd gotten away with his alter identity. Then came Sergeant Ike Jefferson, who'd not had an easy life and who clearly knew Beau. Why didn't Ike turn Beau in for being an imposter, and could Ike's dream of true freedom ever come true? Next was Beau's (and Ike's) nemisis, Captain Walter Gaines, who also hid the truth about his own background and was becoming increasingly dangerous. Then there was the Colonel's Dietrich's wife, Caroline, who continually sought out men other than her husband. Was she simply a selfish and spoiled socialitee, or could there be another reason, however mad, for her behaviour?
Julia Robbs is not only adept at creating interesting and multifacited characters, she also has a keen eye for seeing the complexities of our American makeup, and she has a keen pen for portraying it back to us in the reflection of the past. The Stamp of Heaven reinforced my belief that we aren't so different today than our forefathers. Also that geography alone doesn't explain our own individual beliefs and actions. Southerners and Northerners are each unique, and though our environment shapes us, in the end the stamp may be something much more intrinsic. Or, perhaps, fate is all and in the end you have to learn to deal with it the best way you know how.
Note that the language of the time is adopted. I've followed the author for some time on social media so I knew that she certainly didn't approve or personally adopt such language, but rather used it for authenticity. I think that is an important disclosure.
Thank you to the author for sharing the book with me in exchange for an honest review. I truly enjoyed this intriguing novel about soldiers and their loved ones, and the choices they made.
Julia grew up on the lower Great Plains of Texas and lived in
every corner of the Lone Star State, from the Rio Grande to the East Texas
swamps.
--------------------------------------------
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
GIVEAWAY!
1st Prize: Signed Copy of The Stamp of Heaven + $5 Cash
2nd Prize: Signed Copy or eBook Copy of The Stamp of Heaven
April 3-13, 2019
(U.S. Only)
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