An incredible, heart-wrenching story of humanity and life from Roseanna M. White! Some extremely difficult topics are present in Dreams of Savannah, especially considering the current political climate, but White does a fantastic job of exhibiting growth in thought and action in her characters, and brings attention to the people behind the broad American Civil War era.

I cheered, I cried, I swooned, I reflected—I simply felt. White’s story forces the reader to take into perspective the way they are living their own life, and how they can grow and truly listen to what others are saying. It will open your eyes to privilege and the sides of history we’d like to ignore, but are still all too real and painful. It’s by no means an easy read, as terrible things happened and continue to happen in this country, but it is an utterly necessary story.

Every character is incredibly written. Some are completely and utterly horrific, some are completely and utterly remarkable. No matter which end of the spectrum they fall at, each character will make a distinct impression on the reader. I personally related most to Cordelia, with her tendency to romanticize and dream, but also to her growing desire to create great change and cultivate her own awareness. The intertwining stories and relationships often brought tears to my eyes. White’s incorporation of multiple points of view, both black and white characters, adds a depth to the story that is heartbreaking and illuminating.

Dreams of Savannah is a story I needed. It is impossible to ignore what is going on in the world right now, and I appreciate this story in this moment more than I can say. It is incredible as a story, but it will hopefully start a journey of individual self reflection that will lead to absorbing more points of view on this topic. From the characters to the history to the narrative, White has truly created something phenomenal. 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Very intense emotional story set during the Civil War. Told in different perspectives, this historical account is eye opening. Such a hard time in our nation's history. My favorite character was Luther. This who enjoy this historical time period will be impressed with this book. Not light reading.

This was a different sort of novel after coming off of the codebreakers series. I think this story was very authentic to history, even though at times that made it hard to read. The storyline was pretty intense and serious. I think it would be hard to read this book and not be sympathetic for so many of the characters and their difficult situations, which unfortunately are historically accurate. I don’t think I was expecting how heavy this book felt.
The different points of view in this book allow the reader to experience the thoughts and feelings from several perspectives which offered a lot of depth to this story. My favorite characters were Luther and Phil. Their unlikely friendship was the heart of this story for me. I think readers who like a more serious and emotional story will really be impacted by this novel.

DREAMS OF SAVANNAN by ROSEANNA M. WHITE is a historical romance novel which takes place in Savannah during the American Civil War.
Cordelia Owens is a beautiful young lady with a vivid imagination, who loves reading and writes the most fantastic stories in which she is often the heroine who is saved by the dashing hero, in the form of Phineas Dunn. He finds this enchanting, but when hard times come will their tenuous relationship be strong enough? She has dreams which her beloved slave, Selena, also has, which either frighten her or give her hope, and lead her to pray even harder for Phin when he is away at war.
When Delia takes an interest in her parents' slaves and their stories, she is ashamed that people can be owned by someone else and seen as inferior beings because of their skin colour, even though the slaves in their household have always been treated relatively well.
When Phin finally comes home from the war, injured and somehow different, with a huge mute black man called Monty, Delia sees a big change in him.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
There is a really good Christian message of redemption and God's protection and the importance of knowing and following the Scriptures. It is a really lovely book and well worth reading.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. the opinions in this review are completely my own.

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White is an excellent historical fiction novel that has it all: history, action, suspense, romance, obstacles, beautiful landscapes, and faith.

I loved the beautiful images and descriptions of the trees, gardens, landscapes, buildings, plantations, and homes that made up the richly historic Savannah, Georgia in 1861. The author was impressive in her ability to place the reader within that time and into that location.

I love that Ms. White places us within the lives, minds, and thought processes of the people that make up the Confederate. One does not have to agree with the mentality of those one reads about to appreciate experiencing their way of thinking. Many were brought up within this society and through multiple generations, accepted this way of life. In no means am I condoling this acceptance of ideals and customs, and neither is the author, but in placing oneself into the thoughts of another, one can see how it is not black and white for anyone. There were decent, hardworking people caught up within the South that were lumped together with those that were wrong. There were families that were afraid, that had inner battles of their own of what was right and was wrong, that were also caught up in circumstances not of their choosing. While I will be supporter of the Union without a doubt, it was interesting to read about characters from the Confederate and how they felt what they felt to justify and rationalize their beliefs.

I really like Cordelia (Delia) and Phineas (Phin). They were wonderfully depicted and complex characters that were flawed, imperfect, and realistic. They were down to earth, like able and had a moral compass that helped guide them toward one another, growth, and towards the right paths as the book progresses. Their passion, love, and faith was evident throughout the story.

My personal favorite characters were Salina and River. They were strong, positive people that were able to find one another and help others during this horrific time of oppression and of limited opportunities in the South. They were able to use their education to help others and find happiness for themselves. I would love to read a book that followed them from this book onward. That would be truly enjoyable.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/5/21.