Faith: Quaker Brides (Book 3)
During the American Civil War, devout Quaker Faith Cathwell finds herself nursing the sick and wounded for the Union. But she has another purpose as well. She is also searching for her friend, a free woman of color, who was kidnapped five years prior and likely sold into slavery. Colonel Devlin Knight is a slaveholder fighting for the Union. When Devlin’s cousin gets wounded in battle, he seeks out the Quaker nurse, renowned for her skill. There’s just one problem: his cousin is a Confederate soldier and it is treason to help him. As the army heads east, Faith and Devlin navigate danger alongside a growing attraction. Personal battles are fought alongside national ones, and both characters must confront their deepest secrets if they are to survive.
Cote does not hesitate to tackle the difficult subjects of the war front and racial politics. She invokes the mood of the times and takes care to record accurate details about troop movements and the challenges and limitations of battlefield life. Historical accuracy is subverted when Cote refers to people of color as “black” instead of the period-appropriate “Negro,” though.
While the protagonist seems well-rounded, the other characters come off as one-dimensional. The romance itself is slow-building. Matters of faith, which can easily restrict the narrative, are handled with a gentle, natural touch. Disappointingly, the protagonist’s identity as a Quaker is never explored beyond the use of archaic language and an opposition to slavery. Toward the end, the romance itself take a fresh, unexpected turn whose resolution ties up plot strings and respects character motivations. In other respects, though, the ending feels rushed.
Overall, this novel is a fairly quick read with enough conflict and detail to immerse the reader into a difficult time in American history.
