A feisty army laundress must disarm a grieving Confederate captain’s pride to win his heart.A minister’s daughter abandoned during war must rely on faith to survive. A wounded widower feels God has forsaken him. Will her devout care bring medicine to his soul or rub salt in his wounds?Ellen White is assigned to attend a debilitated artillery captain after the Battle of Second Manassas. She offers … Manassas. She offers God’s strength, but Gideon Sharpe would rather rely on his own. He would prove himself devoted to his motherless infant daughters, the sort of father he never had.
Ellen longs for the security of a home and to feel cherished. Can a jaded and broken man be God’s plan to fulfill her fondest hopes?
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I really liked Kathleen’s first book in the Sons of the Shenandoah series, but I think I liked this one even more. As usual, the characters grabbed me and dragged me straight into their stories. A wonderful read.
Injury, Reluctance, Healing, and Love
I enjoyed reading this story very much! The detail of daily life, finding strength in forgiveness, and the hope of love, despite feeling unworthy. There is tragedy in war, people are injured an many are killed. This story is wonderfully told without gory details. It takes place mostly away from the battlefield. It is a story of one man’s injury ( Gideon), a chance encounter with an acquaintance from his past (Ellen) and healing. Not only from his injuries but also of his heart.
Ellen is tasked to see that Gideon doesn’t die, she is a mere laundress but manages. By divine intervention, she is asked by Gideon’s father to come home with them and care for Gideon as he recovers. Sam Sharpe is not an easy man but says he will look after her and see that she has a roof over her head. I liked how Ellen had to think about the offer before accepting it. Her reasoning was valid.
I liked the bickering between Ellen and Gideon. Each trying to have control over their situation but really, neither does. I loved Gideon’s younger brother Ben. He is a bit of a buffer at times but also challenges Gideon in the healing of his soul. I don’t give spoilers but I will share a favorite line.
“I’ll be with you until we are old and full of years…”
You will have to read the book yourself to see when and by whom those words are spoken.
*In full disclosure, I had the privilege of being a beta reader for this book long before publication. I purchased my own Kindle copy and I am happy to say that I love the final product. A review was not required. All thoughts expressed are entirely my own.
Historical romance fiction set in the South during the War Between the States, The Chaplain’s Daughter shows how war leaves wounded hearts and bodies on the battlefield and on the home front. The characters and plot are well-developed and believable. Ellen White’s frustration as she struggles to maintain her Christian testimony when confronted by the conflict and unbelief within the Sharpe family is obvious. Captain Gideon Sharpe’s battle wounds leaves him helpless to take care of himself and his twin daughters who are now in the care of his dead wife’s family. He’d rather get rid of Ellen, and he fights his attraction to her. His bitterness challenges Ellen, and she despairs of ever pleasing him. If you like historical romance, I think you’ll enjoy reading The Chaplain’s Daughter.
This is another wonderful story from the author set during the Civil War Era! I’m not sure which one I like more, they are both so good and so well historically researched that I keep learning so many things that happened during such hard times in America’s history.
Ellen White is left alone after her father leaves for war as Chaplain for the Confederate Army. So she finds a way to support herself as the Army’s laundress. Then she is charged with the care of an injured Captain by the name of Gideon Sharpe after the Battle of Second Manassas. She later recognizes him as the brother of her jilted beau. But he seems to have embittered and hardened after the loss of his wife during childbirth and his injury, and feels forsaken by God. When his father comes for him, and meets Ellen, he asks her to come to their home and help take care of Gideon as he recovers. After some considering, she accepts. Ellen wants to offer this man the emotional support he needs to recover and to get him to trust God with his life, but Gideon’s despondency proves a great obstacle in letting Ellen help him heal spiritually, and begin a new life.
This is a beautiful story of unconditional love, physical and spiritual healing, forgiveness and redemption! I loved the characters growth throughout the book, especially Gideon. Even though I had a bit of a hard time with his pride and bitterness at first, I loved the way Ellen gradually melts his defenses. Ellen is a wonderful character, strongminded, yet caring and kind, selfless and compassionate. Her faith inspired me. The message behind the story is beautiful, full of faith, hope and letting all grudges go and forgiving one self, others, and seeking it from the One who can grant it without measure. An inspiring story that didn’t feel preachy at all. There were secondary characters, like Gideon’s brother Ben, whom I liked and think made an impact in the story too.
A wonderful story of love, loss and redemption, full of historical details and deep compelling characters that you will love and suffer with them too! I highly recommend this novel to historical romance lovers! A must read!
Outward wounds heal much easier than inner ones. Gravely wounded in battle, Gideon Sharpe wants nothing more than to join his wife who died months earlier during childbirth. When his father hires army laundress Ellen White to nurse him back to health, he resists her efforts…and the feelings that begin to grow between them.
Still reeling from heartbreak, Ellen has nowhere else to turn when Gideon’s father asks for help. With her own father missing in action, she is alone and without protection as the Civil War rages. Running the Sharpe household might be the refuge she needs. Or will it be her peril?
If you love stories like Jane Eyre, you’ll cheer for this tale of a battered man who learns to love a brave woman fighting for survival.
I adore this book! Kathleen’s rich descriptions carried me straight to Gideon and Ellen’s world, to their inner struggles that warred with their blossoming love for each other. At times heart wrenching, I loved watching them overcome their flaws and face their fears. By the time I reached the last pages, I hated to close the book.
Kathleen’s beautiful storytelling has made me a forever fan! I can’t wait to read her next book!
The great narrative in this novel kept me turning the pages! This story also has the kinds of twists and turns I enjoy. While, as in most romances I’ve read, I wanted to clunk together the heads of the male and female leads, they both were likable characters. And the author did a good job of placing this reader inside their heads. (Thank you!) A few typos, punctuation oversights, and duplicate words needing to be edited out were easily overlooked for this terrific read. I highly recommend this Civil War romance to Christians and non-Christians alike.
The author has done a masterful job of taking us back to the sights and smells of the Revolutionary War. Gideon, a gravely injured captain, is a war hero accused of desertion since he has no recall of his last battle. His anger precludes him from the forgiveness he needs to give in order to accept the love freely given by God and others. Ellen is an army laundress who decides to believe God when He whispers “Trust Me – I’ve chosen you, child”.
A wonderful story of overcoming war, hurts and death to a new life of forgiveness and love. I received this ARC from the author and all impressions and opinions are my own.
The Chaplain’s Daughter is book two in the series Sons of the Shenandoah by Kathleen L. Maher.
This is a well-written story about two souls caught in the upheaval of the Civil War. Can they trust God to see them through this turbulent time?
Seemingly abandoned in 1862, The Chaplain’s Daughter, Miss Ellen White has to fend for herself. She finds work as a washerwoman at a field hospital in Virginia until she is pressed upon to help with a badly wounded Captain Gideon Sharpe. After his father, Sam, visits, she agrees to travel with them to Sam’s horse farm in order to nurse Gideon during his recovery.
Having sustained injuries that will take a long time to heal, Gideon is brought by his father to the family home. But Gideon wants nothing more than to return to his own home and his twin baby daughters who have lost their mother.
Ms. Maher aptly depicts the battle scenes of the war and the resulting nightmares that Gideon experiences. She also shows the strong faith of Ellen, how it permeates het life and how it affects those around her. The author has captured the flavor of the old South and descibes what it was like for a family to be on the Confederate side of the conflict. She lets us see into Ellen’s emotions as she makes her way through difficult times. The hardships that Gideon goes through during battle, losing his wife, being injured and feeling inadequate are eloquently conveyed in this striking novel.
Be sure to read the story about Gideon’s brother Ethan in The Abolitionist’s Daughter.
I like to read about this period in our country’s history and this book is among the best I have read.
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
Ellen has gone from being the somewhat spoiled, well-dressed daughter of a minister to a washwoman for the Confederate army. You will admire Ellen as she does what is necessary to provide for herself when she ends up homeless even when that includes assisting the doctor in caring for Captain Gideon Sharpe’s wounds. Gideon is not an easy man to care for! His wife has died during the birth of his twin daughters. Now he is injured and cannot get back to them. God works in the lives of many of the characters. The Chaplain’s Daughter is an interesting story of life during the Civil War. I received a complimentary advance copy of The Chaplain’s Daughter from the author. This is my honest opinion.
It had been a long time since I’ve read an historical novel. I had almost felt as if I had “outgrown” them, but the story line in The Chaplain’s Daughter was so well-written it felt fresh and totally captivated me. I read the first seventeen chapters in one sitting! And then, I only stopped reading because had I pushed on as I wanted to; my droopy eyes would have missed something good. I’m glad I did, because the rest of the story kept me mesmerized until the last word. The faith element was subtle but strong, which I enjoyed very much. The story of Gideon and Ellen touched my heart and renewed my hope that though one love ends, God’s mercy can replace pain with passion once again if you trust Him. A message we all need reminding of. I was concerned with starting with book 2, but now I am even more hungry and curious to read book 1. Will it be the story of Ellen and Ethan? Or will it be the story of Leigh Ann and Gideon? This reader has to find out!
I read this book at the perfect time of year – Easter. One theme of the story is redemption and it tied in perfectly with this season. Ellen is steadfast in her faith and her work for her country and the Lord. Gideon deals with loss – his wife, his family, his post, and what he feels makes him a man. Can Ellen’s agape love transform his heart and show him that God wants to heal the broken pieces of it? Gideon is angry and seems offended by everyone and everything. A wonderfully written book once again from Ms. Maher. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys historical fiction romance.