Review: Annie Between the States by L.M. Elliott

Title: Annie, Between the States
Author: L.M. Elliott
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Katherine Teegan Books
Published: 2006
Pages: 544

Rating - 8 out of 10

In Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Annie Sinclair's life changes as the Civil War overtakes her home. Loyal to her beloved state, Annie never doubts her Confederate loyalties until she begins to fall in love with a young Union lieutenant.

I don't make any effort to hide the fact that I absolutely loathe the Civil War. Maybe it's because I spent most of my childhood and teenage years in Richmond, Virginia, where discussion of the Civil War was akin to starting a heated political discussion in which you may or may not declare yourself a Muslim Communist. There were frequent, impassioned discussions about it in the papers. Confederate flags fluttered from the beams of front porches. At a history class in university, students raged on and on about the secession. But even before all that, I never found the time period all that interesting. I like my history old - the Middle Ages is generally my cutoff point. 

Anyways, I am far from a Civil War enthusiast. However, of all the books on the setting that I have read, this one is without doubt the best. I absolutely loved this book, so much so that it earned a couple of re-reads from me, another rare exception.

Elliott has written a strong and powerful story, with the perfect blend of accurate history and well written fiction. I love the main character Annie Sinclair, who was feisty without simply being a modern girl dressed in Antebellum-era clothes, as is all too common in historical fiction. Seeing her grow up and develop as a character was part of what made this book so very good. 

Richly drawn, complex and detailed. 
L.M. Elliot is an amazing author, and I look forward to reading all of her books. Highly recommended.