Carrie willingly becomes The Widow of the South in her effort to preserve the memory of at least 1,400+ of those 9,200 young men who gave their last breaths at that horrific battle to preserve the life and homes that they were brought into the world in. She turns her land into the battlefield cemetery after word comes down that the land the men have been buried on is to be fitted to other more pressing uses. She lost most of her children during that ugly war and found an illicit love also during that war to hold onto, but she could not keep the man there. He returns to her in the last stages of his life, asking, "Is there room for one more in the cemetery" that she has cared for since after he long ago left her. A lifetime has passed both of them without leaving a trace of their youth behind. Regrets, anguish, pain, loves lost, and most of all reconciliation to the reality of a life spent with hopes, longing and care. Hicks wrote about the love of Carrie for this young man, but failed to give a real explanation for the reasons it became so powerful in her life. Hicks wrote those battle scenes very well, full of the terror and pain and death. They had me in tears, but mostly so very aware of what we, as a nation, lost in that war.

Hick's writes a moving, compelling story that is true and full of the history of the Deep South. I thoroughly loved this wonderful book and the way he had of making a great story out of the many stories of the Civil War and Carrie's life. I am sincerely glad that I got the chance to read it.