Once a Rebel - Softcover

Brown's ( Wildfire ) flimsy tale exploits a tragic period in American history. When civil war divides the nation, Alex Steele, a Kentucky native and West Point graduate, sides with the North. This alienates him from his stepfather's Tennessee relatives, the Windsors--including Jessamy, the Windsor's immature, headstrong daughter. She's a loyal Southerner who knows that most slaves are "treated as family. . . . They have warm, secure places to live . . . as well as . . . love and security" (an opinion the book never discredits). While the Windsor men are off fighting, their family home Clover Hill is occupied by Union forces--including Alex--and burned to the ground when the troops are forced to retreat. After Jessamy's younger brother Bryce runs off to join the rebels, she sneaks out to hunt for him but is found by Alex. The two travel 50 miles on foot and become much friendlier before he ships her home. When Jessamy learns of army locations and plans from her menfolk and Alex, she is alerted to the fact that Bryce is in danger and hops on the family mule to charge back into the heart of the fray.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.