384 pages
Published September 2005 by Random House Publishing Group
Source: purchased
In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman and his sixty thousand troops have just marched into Georgia and burned Atlanta. Now they are making their way to the coast and then up into the Carolinas as Sherman attempts to finish off the Confederacy.
Along the way, the troops will pick up thousands of freed slaves and refugees and the march will become something much more than just a military maneuver, it will become a study in humanity...and inhumanity.
Emily Thompson's father succumbs to death just as Sherman's troops storm through her town. When she goes in search of the doctor, she finds, instead, Wrede Sartorius, Union surgeon. Emily is so taken by Sartorius' gentlemanly ways and handling of the surgery that she makes the decisions, as the troops pull out, to follow along and help with the wounded and dying.
Pearl, a freed slave and daughter of her master, is nearly white and captures the hearts of one Union soldier after another. In this way, she is not only kept safe but finds herself also at work in Wrede Sartorius's unit. Her sole goal is to deliver a letter to the family of the soldier who first saved her.
Wrede Sartorius, the doctor who at first appeared to be so kindhearted, is first and foremost, a physician interested in advancing science even when it means that one man will ride with the troops for days with a spike sticking from his head so that the doctor could observe the decline of the patient for himself.
Arly and Will are Southern soldiers who find themselves in prison together early on, only to be liberated when they promise to fight to save a city. But Arly is always looking for the way to save his own skin and the two almost immediately desert, finding themselves on the Union side of the line.
Doctorow has a way of telling a sweeping saga at an intimate level that is almost unparalleled in storytelling. In The March is also able to make the reader see both the good and the bad in the actions of both sides of the conflict. More than once, I found myself hoping that the Union soldiers would "get theirs." As I did with Doctorow's Ragtime, I learned a lot from this book because Doctorow is also incomparable at mixing historical figures and actions in his fiction.
My one complaint with this book was that I spent most of it expecting the same kind of drawing together of storylines that I had so enjoyed in Ragtime which did not happen. Instead, some of the stories wrapped up early, some of them just ended; only a couple wound their way through the entire book. Which is probably more realistic, just not what I was expecting. So many people have cited this book as one of their all-time favorites and my expectations were high. While this, the last book I read in 2011, was one of my favorite books of the year, it still did not come close to captivating me in the way that Ragtime did.
I don't know why I've need read any Doctorow, but your review has convinced me that I should start with this book! Excellent review--I've been liking historial non-fiction more than historical fiction lately, but I think this is an excellent subject for a historial treatment.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how common the spelling of Wrede's name is--never seen that one before :)
My husband really enjoyed this too, but I'm not big on books that create fictional dialogue using real people. On the other hand, I've loved every other Doctorow I've read, and most of them do that!
ReplyDeleteI have this book on my shelf, and have heard some very good things about it. It almost reminds me of My Name is Mary Sutter, in that it captures some of the same elements. I need to read this one soon, not only to compare the two, but to also see how this story develops. Great review today!
ReplyDeleteI think I have this book lying around somewhere. I didn't even think to read it for the Civil War Challenge. It sounds really good other than the storylines not being tied up or merged. Will link to your review on War Through the Generations.
ReplyDeleteSounds great but makes me think I need to read Ragtime!!!
ReplyDeleteI love Doctorow - Ragtime is one of my all-time favorite books. This one looks interesting. Although I'm feeling a little queasy about the spike in the head part.
ReplyDeleteAuthor's name looks familiar but can't say I ever heard of him. Sounds like an interesting read, however I would have thought all the story lines would tie in together. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
ReplyDeleteEven though it may not have been quite as captivating, it sounds absolutely fascinating to me. I'm trying to remember any other novel that follows Sherman along his march instead of focusing on the aftermath. Very intriguing to me. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
ReplyDeleteSeveral people have mentioned this book as one of their favorites recently read, and based on your review I can see why. I love reading all those little details about a different culture or time.
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