I Shall Be Near to You

McCabe's novel is based on documented accounts of women who fought in the Civil War, disguised as men. Allyson Ryan delivers Rosetta's story with the feisty energy of a woman who has the grit to do just that. In 1862, Rosetta's beau, Jeremiah, plans to enlist. Before he goes off to war, they marry. Ryan credibly delivers all the characters and is especially affecting as Rosetta decides to cut her hair, dress like a man, and enlist so she can be near her husband. Through subtle variations in tone, Ryan delivers period gender attitudes, the hardships of army life, the turmoil and misery of battle, and the tenderness of young love. This well-written, well-researched historical fiction makes fine listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

October 28, 2013
Inspired by the actual letters of a woman who fought in the Civil War, McCabe’s debut imagines the challenges faced by newlyweds Rosetta and Jeremiah Wakefield when she decides to join him in battle. Feisty Rosetta was never at home doing women’s chores, preferring to help her father run the family farm. Therefore, it’s no surprise that when Jeremiah says he will join the Union Army, she proposes to him so they can be wed before his departure—and then she decides to join him in training, cutting her hair, binding her breasts, putting on men’s clothes, and enlisting as “Ross Stone.” Though she promises to go home when the real fighting starts, there are numerous reasons for Rosetta to stay put with her husband and the group of local boys who are in on the secret. McCabe successfully recreates the tedium of prebattle training, the rigors of marching from one destination to the next, the exhaustion of battles and retreats, and the massive destruction that occurred during the war. An author’s note states that hundreds of women fought on both sides during the Civil War, and without being preachy or having an agenda, McCabe offers a feminine perspective on a dark time in U.S. history. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.