Measure of Devotion, Nell Joslin
Measure of Devotion, Nell Joslin
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Measure of Devotion

Author: Nell Joslin

Narrator: Courtney Patterson

Unabridged: 9 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/16/2025


Synopsis

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents' wishes by enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord. In October 1863, devastating news arrives: Francis has been critically wounded near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Susannah embarks on a perilous journey to bring her son home, finding Francis delirious with fever and haunted by the horrors of battle. Their reunion is overshadowed by the conflicts at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, culminating in Francis being captured as a prisoner of war. As the war exacts its toll and tensions escalate between mother and son, Susannah confronts impossible choices amidst harrowing revelations from home. This gripping narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound impacts of war on family bonds, painting a vivid portrait of one woman's relentless fight for survival and reconciliation in a time of unprecedented turmoil.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Donna on February 21, 2025

I enjoyed an Advance Reader Copy. This book is set to release May 20th, 2025. This is a Civil War novel that captures one mother's unyielding efforts to save her son, and in doing so, is subjected not only to the many hardships of this time period (lack of basic necessities - such as they were) but i......more

Goodreads review by BookWormBecky on May 23, 2025

5.0 *Thank you to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing for this gifted copy and a spot on the tour! Defy, telegram, sacrifice… In 1863, Susannah leaves SC and her gravely ill, 25 years older husband Jacob to tend to her critically wounded son Francis. Follow her journey across several state lines with little mor......more

Goodreads review by NrsKelley on May 13, 2025

Do you know how you read a book and you can’t help but think “why does this character keep trying?” This is that book. The simple answer here being that Susannah is a mother. And apparently, this mother will keep facing death and horror over and over for her pitifully ungrateful son. I had to refrai......more

Goodreads review by Pat on August 16, 2025

Finished it in about a day. Very sad but very good writing......more

Goodreads review by Ricki on June 04, 2025

The novel is structured with a plot alternating between the past and present, and this is very effective because we witness how Susannah and her husband Jacob are at crossed-purposes with each other. Their son Francis rejects his mother's devotion (from the time he was about five years old) and inst......more