TWO BROTHERS One North, One South

This Civil War novel opens with journalist Walt Whitman visiting a dying Confederate soldier in the hospital and learning that the man's brother, a Union soldier, is in the same hospital. From there, flashbacks tell the story of kin on opposite sides of a war and a state, Maryland, split by the South's secession. Kirsten Beyer narrates with sensitivity, delivering a gentler, more heartfelt reading than listeners might expect for a war novel, while giving action such as blockade running a sense of urgency and tension. The framework of the novel makes for a strong beginning and conclusion, although the story bogs down in places and characters often seem one dimensional. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2009]