I Shall Be Near To You

Book 13 of my 2015 Reading Challenge

read from Feb. 6 - 8

I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Summary (via Goodreads)

Rosetta doesn't want her new husband Jeremiah to enlist, but he joins up, hoping to make enough money that they'll be able to afford their own farm someday. Though she's always worked by her father's side as the son he never had, now that Rosetta is a wife she's told her place is inside with the other women. But Rosetta decides her true place is with Jeremiah, no matter what that means, and to be with him she cuts off her hair, hems an old pair of his pants, and signs up as a Union soldier.
With the army desperate for recruits, Rosetta has no trouble volunteering, although she faces an incredulous husband. She drills with the men, proves she can be as good a soldier as anyone, and deals with the tension as her husband comes to grips with having a fighting wife. Rosetta's strong will clashes with Jeremiah's while their marriage is tested by broken conventions, constant danger, and war, and she fears discovery of her secret even as they fight for their future, and for their lives.
Inspired by more than 250 documented accounts of the women who fought in the Civil War while disguised as men, I Shall Be Near to You is the intimate story, in Rosetta's powerful and gorgeous voice, of the drama of marriage, one woman's amazing exploits, and the tender love story that can unfold when two partners face life's challenges side by side.

My Opinion

As the summary states, this book was inspired by truth and it's a fascinating concept.  I kept hearing the song from "Mulan" as I read, haha.  

The book isn't deep but it's intriguing and the pages pass quickly.  However, there were some plot holes and ridiculous choices that took away some of the enjoyment for me, and I found the ending to be very abrupt.

Iffy execution of an excellent topic led me to rate this squarely in the middle. 

A Few Quotes from the Book

"I am a different kind of woman now, a wife who knows what war really is."

"Our dream is still shining off there in the distance, and that is enough of a star to pull me through this black night, as long as I don't count the cost of it."