Words Heard in Silence ~ T. Novan & Taylor Rickard

Published January 2004 ~ Cavalier Press

Another historical novel set during the Civil War. The two main characters are a Major in the Union army and a confederate widow. The Union army asks permission to stay on the confederate widow’s property and she grants them permission. You find out early on in the book that the Major is a woman disguising herself as man. Novan & Rickard describe in detail what the character must do to maintain a facade of being a man. The confederate widow uses the opportunity to keep herself safe from renegades who would rape and take her home.

The authors include all the ugliness of war without creating an uncomfortable feeling as you read. You want the bad guys to be brought to justice and you want the Major and the widow to get together. I don’t believe there are a lot of new copies of the book out there but you can get a used copy, just not mine. :) If you want to read this book, select the link Words Heard in Silence.