"The research behind this shines. Green’s descriptions of the first hospitals, the horrors of battlefield medicine, and the extraordinary courage and vision of the women who took on this challenge carry the whole book. For this alone it’s worth the read."
~Historical Novel Society
The Book
It's April 1861, and the Union Army's Medical Department is a disaster, completely unprepared for the magnitude of war. A small group of New York City women, including 28-year-old Charlotte Waverly, decide to do something about it, and end up changing the course of the war, despite criticism, ridicule and social ostracism. Charlotte leaves a life of privilege, wealth--and confining expectations--to be one of the first female nurses for the Union Army. She quickly discovers that she's fighting more than just the Rebellion by working in the hospitals. Corruption, harassment, and opposition from Northern doctors threaten to push her out of her new role. At the same time, her sweetheart disapproves of her shocking strength and independence, forcing her to make an impossible decision: Will she choose love and marriage, or duty to a cause that seems to be losing? An Irish immigrant named Ruby O'Flannery, who turns to the unthinkable in the face of starvation, holds the secret that will unlock the door to Charlotte's future. But will the rich and poor confide in each other in time?
The Book Trailer
The Inspiration
I wrote Wedded to War to shine the spotlight on the women who, during the Victorian Age, no less, started something that saved hundreds of thousands of lives. New York City's Women's Central Association for Relief prompted the government to establish the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which supported the government with supplies, nurses, food and much more. The women who pioneered this effort did so at great personal sacrifice and are the unsung heroes of the Civil War.
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