When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.
Her mother’s mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt’s message to its greatest test—but can betrayal be forgiven?
My Thoughts:
“That’s why she gave you the quilt. So you could see
beyond the hard times.” (p 95)
Times couldn’t be any harder for Beth Bumgartner! Truly, her
circumstances were very brutal. Beth was staying with her grandmother's home,
nursing wounded soldiers, and the Civil War came to their doorstep and swept
through their front door. Her world became filled with the moans and
cries of agony of wounded soldiers. Beth was wounded inside long before
the war demolished the physical world she lived in. She must heal while
she tends the wounded and dying. Before any healing can take place, she must
seek the heart -healing only God can provide – yet she has pushed Him away. God
doesn’t hear or answer her prayers.
The soldier that occupies most of her time and effort – initially
– is Joe. He is seeking the brother he went into the war to protect. Wounded
and dying himself, it seems he will never discover the answers he is desperate
to find. He never expected to be part of someone else’s healing
.
Wow! Talk about being on the front lines of the Civil War!
Dionne Moore takes you there in her novel A
Heartbeat Away!! The noise, the terror, the filth every detail is brought
to vivid life. She also brings to life a set of characters that
bear some inner wounds of their own – the separation from family, the
unknown whereabouts or conditions of their loved ones. Moore has created
some very strong and resilient characters who bear up in pretty amazing ways.
Throughout the story, Beth pieces together a quilt that her mother
sent to her while she was nursing soldiers in her grandmother’s home.
There is a message tenderly woven into each stitch of that quilt, and Moore
weaves her story together with the masterful touch of an accomplished
seamstress. It is a purposeful and beautiful story and displays the mercy and
grace of God in the most nightmarish circumstances imaginable.
Truly, we can and must trust God no matter the battle that wages
around us. It’s not easy. It’s not pain free. It is purposeful and
beautiful, just like Beth’s quilt. Don’t miss this story! It will
challenge and change your heart!
About the Author:
S. Dionne Moore is a historical romance author who resides in South Central PA with her family, surrounded by the beautiful Cumberland Valley and lots of fun, historically rich locations. She is a weekly contributor to The Borrowed Book, a blog for book-lovers and Cozy Mystery Magazine, for all things cozy mystery.
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