Book Review: A Blue And Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott

Title: A Blue and Gray Christmas
Author: Joan Medlicott


Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 336
Published: November 10, 2009


From the inside flap:
In this stunning holiday story, a cache of Civil War-era letters and diaries sweeps the ladies of Covington up into a dramatic and heartwarming historical saga that inspires them to plan an unforgettable Christmas for two families forever changed by war.

When a rusty old tin box is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah discover that it contains letters and diaries written by two Civil War soldiers, one Union and one Confederate.

The friends are captivated by the drama revealed. The soldiers were found dying on a nearby battlefi eld by an old woman. She nursed them back to health, hiding them from bounty hunters seeking deserters. At the end of the war the men chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail. But while their lives were rich, they still felt homesick and guilty for never contacting the families they'd left behind.

Christmas is coming, and the letters inspire Amelia with a generous impulse. What if she and her friends were to find the two soldiers' descendants and invite them to Covington to meet? What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate? With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men's families in Connecticut and the Carolinas, and to make preparations in Covington for their most memorable, most historic Christmas yet.

Mine:
A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott is part of the Covington Series and was the first one I read, I would have to say that it would be well worth it to read more of the series. The characters of Amelia, Grace and Hannah wonderful and developed. A box of letters from the civil war was found on the property, the women read the letters and are touched by the letters.

The authors of the letters are one soldier from the south and one from the north. The two were both injured and were helped by Miss Ella Mae who brought them up as her own. The “Girls” decide it would be a great gift to find the family of the soldiers and invite them for a wonderful Christmas celebration.

This is a delightful tale for Christmas as the geneorsity of spirit is shared by all.