Broken Promises
A Novel of the Civil War
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3.6 • 7 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Originally published as In the Lion’s Den
Winner of the San Diego Book Award for Best Historical Fiction
Director’s Mention, Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction
1861: The war that’s been brewing for a decade has exploded, pitting North against South. Fearing that England will support the Confederate cause, President Lincoln sends Charles Francis Adams, son of John Quincy Adams, to London. But when Charles arrives, accompanied by his son Henry, he discovers that the English are already building warships for the South. As Charles embarks on a high-stakes game of espionage and diplomacy, Henry reconnects with his college friend Baxter Sams, a Southerner who has fallen in love with Englishwoman Julia Birch. Julia’s family reviles Americans, leaving Baxter torn between his love for Julia, his friendship with Henry, and his obligations to his own family, who entreat him to run medical supplies across the blockade to help the Confederacy. As tensions mount, irrevocable choices are made—igniting a moment when history could have changed forever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Originally self-published as In the Lion's Den, Hoffman's accomplished but dry Civil War intrigue arrives in trade paperback with a new title. In 1861, Charles Francis Adams, son of deceased president John Quincy Adams, embarks for England on a spy mission for Abraham Lincoln. There, he gathers information, with the aid of his capable son, Henry, about the empire's reaction to America's growing conflict. Meanwhile, Henry's Harvard friend Baxter Sams, a Virginian studying medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons, takes note of Julia Birch, the young daughter of Sir Walter Birch. While Julia develops conflicting feelings for Baxter, a slave owner and blockade runner with brothers in the Confederate army, the espionage efforts of Charles and Henry yield frightening results the English have "colluded with the Confederacy to make war upon the North" and built steel-clad warships for the Confederate army. Baxter travels to America and is imprisoned, forcing Julia to decide where she stands, and Charles succeeds in keeping the warships from completing their mission. Readers who relish the period will appreciate Hoffman's capable m lange of fact (the basic Adams narrative) and fiction (Baxter and Julia).
Customer Reviews
Excellent Read
In this Civil War novel, the author accurately and authentically ties together historical fact and creative license. The storyline is full of rich historical details; e.g. descriptions of political figures, dialogues between contrasting personalities, and definitive events in American history. However, a thorough knowledge of history is not a prerequisite for enjoying the book. The well-written literary elements make the book very accessible, and for those know their history, it makes the book even more entertaining. In particular, I enjoyed the historic and literary themes employed throughout the novel including; irony, parallelism, and some very entertaining humor.