The Deserving
by Efren O'Brien
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Aug 16 2017 | Archive Date Dec 13 2018
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Description
In early 1862, General Henry Hopkins Sibley and his Confederate Brigade rode across the West Texas desert from San Antonio to El Paso, and followed the Rio Grande north into the New Mexico Territory .
Their goal was nothing less than to conquer the entire Western US for the Confederacy. During this time a young New Mexican named E'mile Deschampes who was only eighteen years old, enlisted in the Union Army to oppose the Confederates in New Mexico.
A prolific battle takes place at Valverde Ford near Socorro New Mexico in February of 1862, and E'mile is nearly killed there. He is rescued from the battlefield by a local villager Carmen Reyes. Together, at Valverde they begin their relationship and strange odyssey with a brutal Confederate Lieutenant, Aubrey McGrath.
Their conflict with McGrath will last nearly twenty years and almost cost them their lives. And as luck and fate play a part in life's events, the couple encounter McGrath after the war in Santa Fe in the late 1800's. McGrath tries again without success to kill E'mile. E'mile prepares for one final battle against his longtime rival as Carmen is kidnapped in Santa Fe by McGrath and his gang.
Will Carmen and E'mile survive to tell the tale of their ordeal with their former Civil War enemy ? Or in 1881 will they both become victims to Aubrey McGrath and his evil gang ?
Advance Praise
"This is historical fiction at its best..." (Onlinebookclub Official Review, Dec. 4, 2017); "The Deserving is an elegantly composed historical fiction. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars." (Onlinebookclub Official Review, Oct. 14, 2017).
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781541328198 |
| PRICE | $2.99 (USD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
Ranger H, Educator
THIS IS HISTORICAL FICTION. THAT BEING SAID THER IS A WONDERFUL STORY HERE BUT IT IS WRAPPED (marvelously done by the way) IN THE FACTS OF HISTORY!
Okay sorry about the all capps there but I read some reviews that complain about the craft that is known as historical fiction. Sit down, unplug, and enjoy !
Jo Ann H, Bookseller
The forts in New Mexico were, for the most part, built to protect the residents against the Indians. They didn't want the white people moving in and taking over their hunting grounds. Not too long afterward, the Civil War began. The majority of the soldiers here were Union soldiers. But the Confederate soldiers were bold and greedy and began a campaign to take over the forts and the land...
BooksGoSocial and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you grab a copy now.
Since I live in New Mexico and have visited several of these forts, I was interested in reading more about them. This is a good historical source of facts about the war. Most of the forts mentioned are still standing and you can visit them as historical sites. Reading about the people who lived here, who occupied the forts, and more is almost eerie. When we visited Fort Craig, I could hear voices. I saw no ghosts but I heard their conversations. That made this book even more real to me.
The Confederates came up from Texas. They followed the Rio Grande. (It flows through Las Cruces.) They were outnumbered but they used their knowledge of fighting to win more than one battle. While all this is going on, you have a side story of a young woman and a soldier who find themselves falling in love. They get separated quickly and it's years before they find each other again.
This is a good story and is a great way to visit the battle fields of New Mexico. Even Kit Carson was here in those days. Come visit the old days in New Mexico.
John M, Reviewer
Once again I am indebted to NetGalley for providing a kindle copy of this book for me to read and impartially review.
According to the author's preface, the novel is fiction based in large part in the actual "Transmississippi" Civil War Battles that took place in the New Mexico Territory in 1862, namely the Battle of Valverde Ford and Battle of Glorieta Pass, while a number of the characters portrayed in the story are real the two main protagonists are fictional.
This is a very well researched entertaining read and so in depth that at times it reads like non-fiction, but interesting throughout. It's a part Detective Mystery Spy and Western with buried treasure to boot, but also a sweet Love story, intriguing well written descriptive with excellent characterization throughout, and a real feel for time and place.
The only downside for me was the slightly dodgy kindle copy, which was occasionally poorly spaced, and all the illustrations were blacked out, however this did not in any way spoil my enjoyment of an otherwise entertaining read.
Recommended.
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