Captivating characters, gripping storytelling, and unflinching history form a tale of friendship and sacrifice that’s not for the faint of heart.
My rating: ★★★★★
I absolutely love the characters, dialogue, and narrative style in this book. It’s the sort of book I have to force myself to slow down and savor. From cynical Dance to philosophical Emery to naive, passionate Violet—such an unlikely set of allies, but so much fun to read about! The supporting cast is as engaging as the main characters (Posey Stiles, a.k.a. Traitor Christian, is an excellent case in point). I especially enjoy Emery’s ability to philosophize and sound like a hick at the same time. And how many of us have ever wanted to say, “Do not try me today, for I am in a foul temper’ment”?
The kind of book that makes you think
For me, the characters and their interplay balance the horrific prison conditions that form the central focus of the story. It’s not for sensitive readers, and the characters themselves struggle in ways that seem achingly real. Denial, anger, Dance’s “experiment” in trying to forget. There are some ugly, ugly things here. But I felt the details did not become overly gratuitous, and the story holds to hope and humor in the midst of the darkness.
I often mention this book as an example of my favorite type of historical fiction: the kind that takes you to a real time and place and teaches you something about it through engaging characters and plot, rather than dropping a generic storyline against a generic historical backdrop. I’m not a fan of Civil War fiction, but this story is about a lot more than North versus South. It’s also about a lot more than social activism as such, although the author’s notes make it clear that that’s part of the focus. The best fiction makes me think. We all hope we’d be the people who would speak out and take stands, but would we really? Would I?
Without Christ, this kind of theme can turn into the social gospel. But at its essence, this story is about saying we believe the Bible and not living it. It’s about doing the right thing even if you’re the only one, even if you can’t do much. It’s about taking responsibility for our own failures instead of blaming the situation on others. It’s about friendship and sacrifice.
But is it Christian fiction?
Which brings me to the Christian content of The Sentinels of Andersonville. Other than being published by a nominally Christian publisher and written by a Christy Award winner, this book is not necessarily touted as explicitly Christian. There is a smattering of coarse language and multiple uses of the word hell, mostly in reference to the conditions at the prison. We’re left to assume the characters’ standing with God, and a lot of the Christianity is somewhat cultural in nature. It doesn’t feel like a book that was meant to be specifically Christian fiction, so I’m not going to judge it by a standard it wasn’t meant to reach.
However. One of the most climactic points of the story involves one man’s deliberate, substitutionary sacrifice to save another. If that isn’t the gospel in a nutshell, I don’t know what is. You might say The Sentinels of Andersonville is Christian by allegory if not by message. Some readers will disagree; if you have strong feelings against such things, do everyone a favor and don’t read this book.
Do I recommend The Sentinels of Andersonville?
This isn’t to say there was nothing I disliked. I’ve already mentioned the language. A few plotlines were wrapped up too abruptly for me. I would have liked to see Violet more respectful of her father’s wishes and concerns, even when he was in the wrong. And no, I would not have objected to a more overtly Christian message of hope and redemption.
All that to say, I highly recommend The Sentinels of Andersonville to historical fiction lovers who aren’t bothered by the above caveats. It’s the kind of book that may very well stick with you in perpetuity. (There, I used the word perpetuity. Emery Jones would be proud.) And I leave you with this quote, which sums up the challenge for us all:
“He wanted to tear down the world, and that would be the easy part. But he had to tear down himself.”
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If you enjoyed this book review of The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot, you might also enjoy my book review of The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin. Read the review here or join my email subscribers for book recommendations, a free short story, author updates, and more.
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Happy reading!
Jayna Baas is the author of Preacher on the Run and director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. Learn more about Jayna here or join her email list for more recommendations.