With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander

From the publisher:

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston's quietly held principles oppose those of the Southern Cause--but when forty thousand soldiers converge on the fields of Franklin, Tennessee, the war demands an answer. The Carnton home, where she is governess, is converted into a Confederate hospital, and Lizzie is called upon to assist the military doctor with surgeries that determine life or death. Faced with the unimaginable, she must summon fortitude, even as she fears for the life of Towny, her fiancé and lifelong friend.

  

As a young soldier lies dying in Lizzie's arms, she vows to relay his final words to his mother, but knows little more than the boy's first name. That same night, decorated Mississippi sharpshooter Captain Roland Ward Jones extracts a different promise from Lizzie: that she intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate his leg.

  

Lizzie is nothing if not a woman of her word, earning the soldiers' respect as she tends to the wounded within Carnton's walls. None is more admiring than Captain Jones, who doesn't realize she is pledged to another. But as Lizzie's heart softens toward the Confederate captain, she discovers his moral ground is at odds with her own. Now torn between love, principles, and pledges made, she struggles to be true to her own heart while standing for what she knows is right--no matter the cost. 

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I lived in the south for about 10 years, and yet this book taught me a part of history that I had never heard of.  The Battle at the Carton home is a true historical account but this was the first time I was introduced to it.  I love that about Tamera Alexander's writing.  She educated you as you read her beautifully written stories.  The horror of the Civil War and what the soldiers and civilians went through will become fresh and real to your eyes as you read this.  I like that each character was not a "normal" North vs South character.  Instead each character is complex and so completely human. I felt that each issue was handled with care and dignity.  

I cannot wait for another novel from Tamera Alexander!

I received this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

The Gift That I Can Give by Kathie Lee Gifford Illustrated by Julia Seal

I love children's book that are well illustrated.  Julia Seal did a beautiful job making this book engaging just from a illustration perspective. And not only that, but she enhanced the writing of this book. 

This book asks a question that I have heard many times as a teacher of young children.  "What's my talent?"  Each person wants to be special, to be good at something, and this book addresses that.  I like that while it did speak so some basic careers that we think of as giftings, it also addressed being kind, brave, helpful.  These seemingly smaller gifts are just as important as the more well known ones and I am glad that this was brought out to the reader.

I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.