I have been looking forward to this book since Christmas at Carnton, and with good reason. Tamera Alexander knocks it out of the park with this one. This story beautifully depicts the horrors of the civil war and the triumph of love and hope. I love that the letters represented were actual, historical letters. My medical background allowed me to be fully present to the tragedies that Lizzie experienced and the realities and transformations that occurred in the convalescent phase of the soldiers. Lizzie and Roland both captured my heart as they wrestled to be the person God had designed them to be. They both found their strength, their voice, and their purpose in terrifying and uncertain days. The supporting characters were well written as well and I found myself just as caught up in their stories as I was in Lizzie's and Roland's. For fans of Tamera Alexander, love, hope, civil war, and redemption, With This Pledge is a must read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Every time a Tamera Alexander books becomes available to review, I have to read it. So, when With This Pledge came up in my TBR pile and I pulled it up on my kindle and began to read. I had read the "jacket blurb" and let it pass through my mind like through a sieve. So when I got into the book itself, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Tamera has done her research well, this is truly an historical novel, there are real people and real events depicted in the novel. Saying that, I must caution readers that this book isn't for the faint of heart. The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, is described in gory detail--especially in the aftermath of the battle, where the wounded soldiers are triaged.

Lizzie Coulston is living with the McGavrock (sp?) family in the Carnton Mansion as a governess to their two young children, Hattie and Winder. After the Battle of Franklin, Carnton Mansion was commandeered as a hospital for the men wounded in the battle. The doctor impresses on Lizzie to be his assistant for the surgeries he had to perform. Through her work with the doctor, she met Captain Roland Jones and feels something for him from the very beginning, even though she had promised to marry someone else.

Captain Jones is from Yalobusha, Mississippi, and owns a plantation and slaves. Because of Lizzie's beliefs, they butt heads about the rightness and wrongness of owning slaves. Lizzie is intelligent in her arguments and faithful to her beliefs. She gives Capt Jones plenty of fodder for thought.

Lizzie is a girl who goes against the times and does what she thinks is right, society be hanged. Roland is a man who is used to the creature comforts and the riches that slavery brings him. He prides himself on being fair and gentle with his slaves, but that doesn't change Lizzie's mind.

I have to say this is a five star book with two thumbs up, and a soda biscuit for your tea.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing this book through NetGalley for me to read and review.

Another great book of historical fiction by Tamera Alexander!

Our book club took a trip to Nashville and Franklin this past April, met Tamera, and toured Carnton. That made reading this book so much more real! And the story was made richer by the author’s in-depth research and the notes she included from various characters that were actually historic.

One that our library will definitely purchase and that I highly recommend for lovers of historical fiction.

With This Pledge is the first book in Tamera Alexander's new series, Carnton. It was an emotional read, as it involves war and death. The injuries and surgeries in the story were difficult to read. I found the book believable and appreciated all the historical facts in it.

The romance was good and knowing that it was based on a true-life romance made me love it even more.

All in all, With This Pledge was a stellar historical read. I loved it and recommend it to fans of the genre. I cannot wait to read the next book!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

With This Pledge is the latest tale from Tamera Alexander. This author retells the tale of the Battle of Franklin, as close to reality as any fiction writer could. You will learn what Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston must endure as she leaves her work as governess to the young children of a wealthy family on a plantation outside of Franklin to become a nurse and assistant to the surgeon treating the many young soldiers injured in these final days of the Civil War!

In these first days of caring for the wounded, Lizzie encounters Captain Roland Ward Jones as he is being prepped for surgery. Roland makes one request of Lizzie: DO NOT let the surgeon remove his badly injured leg!

Once Lizzie successfully prevents the doctor from removing Roland's leg, she finds more work left to accomplish. Lizzie's mindset has slowly changed from the Confederate beliefs that she was raised with throughout her life. Her heart is now drawn to help these former slaves to gain the tools, such as reading and writing, they will need to help them adjust to this new world!

This was a hard book to read in some respects, as you see the awful reality of war; however, by the final pages, you see how God can bring something beautiful from the mess we as humans sometimes create in our world!

Another great book by this author. This book drew you in from the beginning to the end. The story is about Lizzie Clouston. Lizzie is a governess when the war brings wounded soldiers Carton House becomes converted into a Confederate field hospital. She is asked to assist a military doctor with surgeries. When a young soldier dies in her arms she vows to relate his last words to his mother. She meets Captain Roland who has many injuries and he asked her to not let the doctor take his leg. She is drawn to him even though she is betrothed to another. This story is a beautiful and heart breaking story of war.It is a page turner . I could not put this book down and will be waiting for more.Thanks Net galley for allowing me to read and give my honest review.

I’ve known for quite some time that Tamara Alexander is a gifted author. Even knowing that, this book has simply blown me away. Her depth of research is incredible. The way that she has taken the historical facts about Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tennessee and turned them into this compelling, heart-rending story is remarkable. The first chapter alone is amazing in setting everything up for the rest of the storyline. The way she describes the battle and what it was like for 40,000 soldiers to descend in the area around the plantation made me feel as if I were an eyewitness to the events. I’ve never read another Christian historical novel set in the Civil War time period that seems as authentic as this one. She does not lessen how horrible the war was and what it was like for a family home to unexpectedly become a hospital for the wounded soldiers.

We view this story through the eyes of Lizzie Clouston, the governess for the McGavock family who own Carnton. In one short day, she goes from teaching the young children there at the plantation to assisting in surgery as the wounded soldiers come by the hundreds to Carnton. Lizzie is a strong and compassionate young woman who finds her strength in God as she faces these unimaginable challenges. There’s a romance that develops between Lizzie and Confederate Captain Roland Ward Jones as he recovers from his injuries there at Carnton. But they face an obstacle that seems impossible to solve: Although Lizzie is a southerner, she is also against slavery. Roland is a caring slave owner. The author does an excellent job presenting both of their viewpoints and keeping the story real as Lizzie and Roland try to reconcile their beliefs.

This story has a strong thread of faith that runs all the way through it. It’s a clean novel with no foul language, and all the war scenes are handled perfectly. I’m looking forward to following Tamera Alexander’s research and read the personal accounts of the real Lizzie and Roland. I think a road trip to Carnton in Tennessee will be in my future.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. Tamera Alexander brought the characters to life and she did a great job of bringing the Civil War and the aftermath of battle to life.

This story is based on two real people, Lizzie Clouston and Roland Jones (Google them and you'll find their information). The two met after the Battle of Franklin when Captain Jones was recuperating at Carnton Plantation. Ms. Alexander included many aspects of her historical research into this novel, but still made it readable and enjoyable. I used to live in Gettysburg and the war didn't seem as real to me there, but after reading this I can much better imagine it and appreciate the sacrficies the soldiers on both sides made.

The book also touches upon the morality (or rather, immorality) of slavery. In fact, this is a dividing issue between the two main characters.

I definitely recommend reading this book if you enjoy historical fiction.

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston's quietly held principles oppose those of the Southern Cause-but when forty thousand soldiers converge on the fields of Franklin, Tennessee, the war demands an answer. The Carnton home, where she is governess, is converted into a Confederate field hospital, and Lizzie is called upon to assist the military doctor with surgeries that determine life or death. Faced with the unimaginable, she must summon fortitude, even as she fears for the life of Towny, her fiancé and lifelong friend.

As a young soldier lies dying in Lizzie's arms, she vows to relay his final words to his mother, but knows little more than the boy's first name. That same night, decorated Mississippi sharpshooter Captain Roland Ward Jones extracts a different promise from Lizzie: that she intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate his leg.

Lizzie is nothing if not a woman of her word, earning the soldiers' respect as she tends to the wounded within Carnton's walls. None is more admiring than Captain Jones, who doesn't realize she is pledged to another. But as Lizzie's heart softens toward the Confederate captain, she discovers that his moral ground is at odds with her own. Now torn between love, principles, and pledges made, she struggles to be true to her own heart while standing for what she knows is right-no matter the cost.

What a great book. It brought the Civil War battle of Franklin, TN to life. What a tragic event in our history. So much loss of life. This book told the story of the aftermath of the battle. The wounded were brought to Carnton for help. Lizzie was the governess who was pressed into service as a nurse. Roland was one of her patience. He made her promise that no matter what she wouldn't let the surgeon amputate his leg. She kept that promise. But did she make the right decision?

I recommend this book. It was more interesting to be when I found out it was based on true people. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Well, that was excellent and a work of art! It’s so hard to find modern Civil War era fiction that’s layered and conflicted rather than being a “black and white us vs them” (in the sense of moral choice, not in sense of skin color) sort of story. This one had layers on top of layers and was incredibly researched. The stories about Carnton makes me want to up and go visit posthaste, and learning that Roland and Lizzie really did fall in love there (plus getting to read some bits from their actual correspondence) just makes it ten times better.

The prose is beautiful...and as a red-pen gal, I highly appreciated that all the correct spellings were used and all the commas and quote marks were in their proper places...to have perfect editing in a nearly 450 page book made my soul so happy and let me fall into the story without distractions.

Overall, the book read more like the vintage-y stories heavily influenced by actual veterans rather than the annoying characters who pop up in some other authors’ work, showing off 20/20 vision two years before the war ends and overturning convention willy-nilly. These characters aren’t certain how to deal with their changing war and they don’t know every single facet of right and wrong. They are layered and real and relatable. It’s very clear that Tamera Alexander immersed herself in the historical world as she did her research.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A positive review was not required.

A great read for those who love history! Set in the Civil War, the story follows Lizzie Clouston and Captain Roland Jones in the afternath of battle as both try to reconcile the changes they see in themselves and their world. There are quite a few pages dedicated to the history of the battle and the cause of the war (both sides), so if you love history, this book is for you! And of course, there’s the romance for which Tamera Alexander is known!

Rated PG-13 for some mild details about battle wounds and amputation (no gory details, but it does address the issue).
No sex
No language

#WithThisPledge #NetGalley
.What a well written book, with vivid desciptions of the end of the Civil war. Lizzie is a governness, and when the battle is right at her doorstep. Lizzie finds herself, assisting the doctor, and doing the best that she can. A story about freedom, choices and family. I can't wait until the next book comes out

This book was so very good! Her descriptions of the battles and the wounded made me feel like I was there.
Loved Lizzie and Roland’s story. Can’t wait for the next one in the series! Love this author!!

With this Pledge follows a young lady named Lizzie who accepts a marriage proposal for all the wrong reasons. She decides that the future she desires is only plausible if she settles for friendship rather than love in marriage. The Civil war interrupts her engagement and Lizzie is tasked with nursing soldiers. As battles rage around her Lizzie fights the pull of her heart. Her attempts to ignore the love developing for a soldier causes her to question her resolve to marry her childhood friend. She would never want to hurt her best friend but can she settle for friendship when she is starting to understand what love can feel like?
Tamera Alexander brings to life the Civil War conflict this Virginia plantation. I am still not ready to let this book go. The Civil War era is so intriguing to me. Alexander presented the view of soldiers and leaders of both sides, civilians, slaves, and a slave owner in this novel. I felt so conflicted for everyone involved. War is so ugly and even though this is of the past I was seeking peace for these souls throughout this book.

This is a book I did not want to finish, indeed I several times delayed continuing for dread of what may be going to happen.... The realities of war are brought home in a vivid way, surely making any reader into a confirmed pacifist! The human costs are so great – no matter which side one is on. (And so many soldiers would not have received the care & attention that those in this story did.) When war is no longer viewed from a distance, intruding not just on your life but taking over your actual home - & with no notice whatsoever to prepare the mind, let alone the physical property - it will certainly be life-changing. The sheer numbers involved, quite blow the mind! This is a glimpse of reality from a perspective which was new to me, & I appreciate the author not having taken the easier route. Strong characters in the book have profound differences of belief which seem irreconcilable, but truly great people are capable of changing their minds - open to admitting they may have been in error. Whilst the book is so well-written that the reader experiences the story along with the characters, it means even more to find it is based on real people & events. I had already rated Tamera Alexander’s previous books highly, but ‘With This Pledge’ is on a whole new level : I look forward to the series continuing.

Wow! I will do my best to convey how much I enjoyed this book. I have loved all of Mrs. Alexander's books. She is an amazing author and her books are so easy to read. I am always left feeling an "aaah" when I finish one. They are gritty at times, romantic and uplifting. This book, however, was more heart-wrenching. This book deals with war. In fact, one of the bloodiest battles in the civil war. She has taken well researched historical facts and wove a tale that allows the reader a glimpse into that horrible battle. I found myself crying several times throughout the book. With that said, however, I also felt sprouts of hope, and love instead of total despair. The characters were all well developed and since it was about actual people, I felt the author portrayed them in ways that showed their human nature. I felt I was actually there with them at Carnton Plantation feeling their pain and love. It ends beautifully. Great job Mrs. Alexander.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not obligated to leave a review. This is my honest opinion.

I’m not generally a fan of Christian fiction, but this book was so well written and researched that I was able to overlook those passages that I felt were unnecessary. A fascinating look into the aftermath of battle as seen through the eyes of the women left behind. Nicely done.

Wow! I don't know if I even have all of the words to say how amazingly well this story was written. Tamera Alexander takes the reader on a journey straight into the trenches of the civil war, both physically and emotionally. When a war is being fought between brothers and neighbors, there is no escape--the war is guaranteed to leave it's mark on all.

While the Civil War led to the abolition of slavery, it also held a lot of death and bloodshed. One question that was constantly posed throughout the story was "is it worth it?" Before being sent into war, men had to ask themselves if they were willing to die for what they believed. For many, as the war continued, their answers changed once it was too late. War is an ugly thing, and it both ends and destroys lives. Why did so many have to die before they would talk?

What I loved about this story was that it showed that while not everyone fought on the physical battle lines, the war touched virtually everyone. Men didn't just lose their lives--but wives lost their husbands, children lost their fathers, siblings lost their brothers, parents lost their sons, and so on. Many witnessed events that would surely traumatize them for the rest of their lives. This story shares the painful truths of just how deeply the war had affected everyone. Tamera Alexander was able to masterfully weave the stories of multiple types of people into a story drenched with brokenness yet blanketed in hope.

I have an ARC copy so I'm not sure if this will exist in the beginning of the full published version, but in my copy there is a note in the beginning from the author to readers mentioning that she wanted to be as historically accurate in this story which leads to some content that may be difficult for some readers. She states, "I've written this novel with a careful consideration of history--including oftentimes disturbing descriptions of combat--coupled with a deep desire to weave a compelling story of hope" (pg ix). In my opinion the author did a flawless job with this. Yes, there are some graphic details, but I don't believe they were avoidable while maintaining a historically accurate and realistic novel. Mentioned in the Afterward at the end, is the knowledge that many of the characters including the main characters, were actually real-life people and that Tamera's web-page contains more information on what was fact vs fiction about them in the story. I have every intent to visit since I am fascinated about learning about the real people behind history.

I honestly don't believe I could recommend this book enough. Yes, there are some difficult moments, but Tamera Alexander has made history come alive in a way that will stay with you forever. Just as the war left no one unchanged, so this book will leave no reader unchanged. This is absolutely a MUST-READ!

*I received a copy of this book from the author through JustRead Publicity Tours. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

"There are certain events and heroic acts over the course of time which ought to be preserved in the memory of our collective history and Alexander honors Civil War Carnton’s residents and those they encountered with her grace, craft, and class. " - Bookmarked Review for Hope By The Book magazine online bonus content "In Review" 12/14/18

Wow. Tamera Alexander touched the tender places in this book. In parts it wasn’t an easy book to read, but the detail to history and the emotion of what the soldiers went through was a story definitely worth reading. The issue of slavery and its ramifications was laid out in a beautiful way and the sweet romance was just right. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.