Publisher's Synopsis
Inspired by the Ken Burns series "The Civil War," In Deer Isle, Maine is a work of historical fiction that takes place at the homefront in downeast Maine (and the battlefield) during the Civil War. It is the story of the 16th Maine Volunteer Regiment at war; and it is the story of the wives, families and sweethearts of those soldiers who waited at home in Deer Isle. A murder during a foraging party in Virginia early in the novel sets in motion a mysterious chain of events that resonates at home even after the war is over. The men of the 16th Maine fought at Fredericksburg where they praised for their fighting spirit. At Gettysburg on the first day of the battle, the 16th Maine was ordered to cover the Union retreat, a solitary regiment against an entire Confederate corps. The regiment, already decimated, held, but in so doing they were very nearly annihilated, with fewer than thirty surviving death, wounds or capture. When those who survived wounds or capture returned to their seafaring town, they found an inordinate number of their friends and families deep in mourning, but unbowed, facing the future with hope and promise. The mystery resulting from the early foraging raid is uncovered in the end, but the motive for murder is unknown. "In Deer Isle Maine, to me, is a story of decisive moments. Split second decisions made not only by soldiers on the battlefield, but by families that wait at home. It is a tale of the tragedies and acts of war that shape national and personal histories alike - for better or for worse. Choices made in equal parts hope, desperation and fear - that cannot be cleared away like fallen bodies or forgotten like names. The characters you meet are admirable, pitiable, lovable and despicable. The descriptions you'll read of New England home life are so rich that you can hear the crunch of clam shells under your feet as you watch the islanders try to quietly survive both a small town's gossip and a nation at war." - The Salad Days
