“A Heart on Hold” by Sara Barnard is the first book in a series called “An Everlasting Heart” and is set in the time right before and during the Civil War in Arkansas. Charlotte Adamsland has loved Sanderson Redding her whole life. She was heartbroken when he left to go to school. Now he’s back home and the Civil War is threatening their way of life. Sanderson loves Charlotte and wants to marry, but the threat of imminent war persuades him to enlist in the Confederate Army. Right before he is to leave for his assignment, he asks Charlotte to marry him. They are married in front of the whole town and have a one-night honeymoon.
During the war, Sanderson is captured and ends up in a prison camp in Alton, Illinois. There he finds his brother, who is a Union soldier. Conditions are not very good in camp and there is an outbreak of smallpox which decimates the prisoner population. Sanderson’s brother dies and Sanderson puts on his Union uniform and flees the prison.
In the meantime, Charlotte has received word that Sanderson has been killed in a prison break and she decides to go after him and bring him home. Of course he is not dead and they finally meet up as they travel.
This novel is the first book in a series that needs to be read in order. I am anxious to read the next book in the series, “A Heart Broken”.
I received a free PDF copy of this book in return for my honest review.
I'm Hooked on Books 