Jane McKeene was born
two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg
and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing
America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work
of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require
certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.
But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an
Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the
well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane.
After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman
could save her from society’s expectations.
But that’s not a
life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s
School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky
home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities,
with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the
dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go
missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds
her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And
the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.
Opening line:
"The day I came squealing and squalling into the world was the first time someone tried to kill me."
I loved this story!
I loved the alternate reality of the Civil War. How the blacks weren't neccassairly slaves but were used to fight the zombies, or "shamblers" as they were called. The blacks were also used as bait to bring out the shamblers so they could be killed.
Jane is tough and sassy and funny and smart. She doesn't take crap from anyone, but knows when to keep her head down until she can escape.
And I LOVED listening to it! Bahni Turpin has the best voice for this story!
There is swearing and fighting and zombies.
DISCLAIMER: I would not recommend this book to everyone.
Carl Owen returns from
the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother
dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah
Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the
continent, Carl falls in love with his brother's fiance.
First line:
"The gaunt-featured young man with the lanky build choked down the last of his moldy bread, then got to his feet and climbed atop the stone against which he'd been sitting."
I've been wanting to read one of Marsha's book for a long time! She is such a sweet person and I feel a connection to her in that we lived in the same small town in Arizona.
Marsha's got a good handle on setting and dialogue set in the time of the Civil War. Carl left his family to serve in the war and when he got home, things had changed. Instead of being able to settle down, Carl's dad is ready to leave for Colorado and start a business he has no idea how to run. Add to that the fact that his dad has also got him a fiance, the journey will be interesting.
Rated: PG
V: some fighting
L: No
S: Some kissing
Liked:
Setting
Carl
Ellen
Cover
Disliked:
Meddling dad :)
3 1/2 STARS
