Judas Field - Hardcover

Bahr, Howard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805067396 ISBN 13: 9780805067392

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Inc, 2006

Synopsis

It's been twenty years since Cass Wakefield returned from the Civil War to his hometown in Mississippi, but he is still haunted by battlefield memories. Now, one afternoon in 1885, he is presented with a chance to literally retrace his steps from the past and face the truth behind the events that led to the loss of so many friends and comrades. The opportunity arrives in the form of Cass's childhood friend Alison, a dying woman who urges Cass to accompany her on a trip to Franklin, Tennessee, to recover the bodies of her father and brother. As they make their way north over the battlefields, they are joined by two of Cass's former brothers-in-arms, and his memories re-emerge with overwhelming vividness. Before long the group has assembled on the haunted ground of Franklin, where past and present, the legacy of the war and the narrow hope of redemption, will draw each of them toward a painful confrontation. Moving between harrowing scenes of battle and the novel's present-day quest, Howard Bahr re-creates this era with devastating authority, proving himself once again to be the pre-eminent contemporary novelist of the Civil War.

About this title

Review

"Heartbreakingly realistic picture of the madness born of violence and war, and the redemption to be found when the past is finally put to rest."--"BookPage""" "Re-creates this seminal moment in American history with prose that is vivid, unflinching, and often incantatory. . . . Howard Bahr's accomplishment is magnificent."--Jeffrey Lent, "The Washington Post Book World"

"Bahr knows how to turn a phrase and tug on the emotions, visceral feelings that we try to keep buried. His descriptions of the carnage of battlefields, of what bullets and bayonets can do to human flesh, will chill you to the bone. . . . His is a rare talent."--"The Denver Post"

"A beautifully wrought novel that deserves a wide audience."--"Los Angeles Times"

Heartbreakingly realistic picture of the madness born of violence and war, and the redemption to be found when the past is finally put to rest. "BookPage"

Re-creates this seminal moment in American history with prose that is vivid, unflinching, and often incantatory. . . . Howard Bahr's accomplishment is magnificent. "Jeffrey Lent, The Washington Post Book World"

Bahr knows how to turn a phrase and tug on the emotions, visceral feelings that we try to keep buried. His descriptions of the carnage of battlefields, of what bullets and bayonets can do to human flesh, will chill you to the bone. . . . His is a rare talent. "The Denver Post"

A beautifully wrought novel that deserves a wide audience. "Los Angeles Times""

"Heartbreakingly realistic picture of the madness born of violence and war, and the redemption to be found when the past is finally put to rest." --BookPage

"Re-creates this seminal moment in American history with prose that is vivid, unflinching, and often incantatory. . . . Howard Bahr's accomplishment is magnificent." --Jeffrey Lent, The Washington Post Book World

"Bahr knows how to turn a phrase and tug on the emotions, visceral feelings that we try to keep buried. His descriptions of the carnage of battlefields, of what bullets and bayonets can do to human flesh, will chill you to the bone. . . . His is a rare talent." --The Denver Post

"A beautifully wrought novel that deserves a wide audience." --Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Howard Bahr teaches English at Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, Tennessee. His first novel, "The Black Flower," was a "New York Times" Notable Book and received the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His second novel, "The Year of Jubilo," was also a "New York Times" Notable Book. He lives in Fayetteville, Tennessee.

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Inc
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0805067396
• ISBN 13: 9780805067392
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304