I’ve hit it out of the park lately with my TLC  Book Tours. Hardcore Vegetarianism was my last review for TLC and I loved it. Of course it was a cookbook and the current stopover, Measure of Devotion, is a novel set during the Civil War. Can’t really do a side-by-side comparison but both are great!

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher for this stopover.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions, thoughts and rants are completely my own.

About the book:

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents’ wishes by enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord. In October 1863, devastating news arrives: Francis has been critically wounded near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Susannah embarks on a perilous journey to bring her son home, finding Francis delirious with fever and haunted by the horrors of battle. Their reunion is overshadowed by the conflicts at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, culminating in Francis being captured as a prisoner of war.

As the war exacts its toll and tensions escalate between mother and son, Susannah confronts impossible choices amidst harrowing revelations from home. This gripping narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound impacts of war on family bonds, painting a vivid portrait of one woman’s relentless fight for survival and reconciliation in a time of unprecedented turmoil.

Praise for Measure of Devotion

“ …accomplished.”—Jill McCorkle, New York Times best-selling author

“… bound to enter the canon of classic Civil War literature. That it’s told from a woman’s viewpoint makes it unique.”—HUNGRY FOR GOOD BOOKS 

“A very-polished and impressive page-turning debut novel…”—HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

“An intense, addictive drama with a hint of light at the end of the tunnel.“—KIRKUS REVIEWS

About the author:

Nell Joslin is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina and received her MFA from North Carolina State University. Besides a fiction writer, she has been a public school teacher, journalist, and attorney. She currently lives in Raleigh.

What I thought…

I had a preconceived idea about the novel from the cover. I thought more could have been done with that. It didn’t really compel me to read further and for some reason I thought it resembled a self-published novel. Let me just say, this book left me gobsmacked (in a good way) and upon reflection, the cover is perfect. (Really study it after you read the book and you will know why.)

One reviewer calls Measure of Devotion a “female-centered Cold Mountain.” I would concur but comparisons could be made to the Odyssey or any hero’s journey, male or female. This novel is truly epic as is Susannah’s quest. She is a force to be reckoned with but in a gentle way. Her sense of duty is astonishing and I wonder if I would have been able to do what she did. That she is even able to safely make the journey and find her son is miraculous. Some of the minor characters that she encounters along the way did remind me of Cold Mountain.

One of the not so minor characters is Letty, her freed housekeeper/cook/caretaker. Letty and Susannah have been together for a long time and while Susannah certainly leans on Letty, Letty is just biding her time until she can be truly free. Susannah is not sure if she can survive without Letty and her wisdom. Letty tries to put their relationship (and their futures) into perspective:

‘We have love. And you got you. And I got me. Come down to it, that’s all we ever had. And if that ain’t enough, then all the rest is nothing but cheap talk.’ (233)

Letty is wise but she is also a pragmatist. And, she speaks the truth—Susannah will survive.

Susannah represents blind devotion, but she is driven with a purpose and strength. As she waits to plead her son’s case for parole, she finds an article about Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg. She reflects:

The room fell away as Lincoln’s words spilled from the page. I, too, through such full measure of devotion, would claim for myself and my son, for Jacob and Letty and Shadrach and Claude, and for everyone that I loved, a new birth of freedom. I would give no ground. I would move forward today and every day, setting it all against the sharpest teeth in the world. (163)

As I mentioned, Susannah’s journey to get her boy home becomes an epic, tragic quest. Is she successful? Does she triumph in the end? My vote is yes but you must read the book. To discuss her trek with any detail would give away the plot. Again, just read the book.

The food:

The Civil War is raging so there’s not an abundance of food nor is this a food-centric book. A few things did stand out to me, though. One was cornmeal; it showed up in cakes, cornbread, and even eaten raw by the handful if that is all one had. Another was Letty’s preserves, especially her blackberry jam. I was going to go pick blackberries at our local u-pick farm but instead I picked a pint of fresh black and gold raspberries off our own growing thicket.

As an homage to the courageous Susannah and Letty, I present raspberry-cornbread muffins.

Raspberry-Cornbread Muffins

By Debra (based on a recipe from Blackberry-Cornbread Muffins)

These muffins are great for breakfast. We’ve also used them to accompany a spinach salad to round out a light meal.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
• ½ c. cornmeal
• ½ c. brown sugar
• ½ t. salt
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 c. milk
• ½ c. salted butter, melted (slightly cooled)
• 2 T.  honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ c. raspberries (reserve 12 berries to place on top of the muffins before baking)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners or prepare pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk slightly to combine. In a small bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, honey and egg.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the raspberries (reserving 12 for the tops).
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Place one of the reserved raspberries on the top of each muffin. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Serve warm with the butter and honey (or more blackberry jam).

Yield: 12

The batter is a little thin just like cornbread and the muffins are a bit dense and gooey with all the berries inside. It’s almost like there’s jam inside.

Thanks to TLC ‘for making this book available to me. Pick it up if you see it at your local bookstore.

I’m linking up with Foodies Read.