Rich Historical Fiction -- To Whisper Her Name

About a year and a half ago, through an offer to participate in a blog tour, I was introduced to Tamera Alexander's writing, and I'm so, so glad I was! 

To Whisper Her Name is another awesome southern historical novel.  Once again, Tamera does a fantastic job of mixing historical events, locations, and characters with fiction and crafting a beautiful story that grips you from the very first page and holds you to the very end.  I could almost see, hear, and feel the people, the horses, and the grounds of Belle Meade Plantation as Olivia and Ridley dealt with their pasts and dared to dream of the future.  The characters, from Confederate General William Giles Harding, to Uncle Bob, Jedediah, and the other freed slaves at Belle Meade, came alive on the pages and ga
ve a very authentic feel to the story.  The research Tamera has done is evident and helps to transport you to the setting rich in actual history.

If you've had the pleasure of reading Tamera's first Belmont Mansion novel -- A Lasting Impression -- you will recognize the mention of Adelicia Acklen.  These two books are set in the same time period, just miles apart from each other near Nashville, Tennessee. 

If you enjoy great post-Civil-war era fiction, or if you're a fan of well-written Christian fiction in general, check out To Whisper Her Name.  It's a little longer than many novels on the market now, but it is worth every page.

About the Book

Set at Nashville’s historic Belle Meade Plantation, the most influential thoroughbred stud farm in America’s history, To Whisper Her Name weaves the struggles of real people of the post-war South with the journeys of a man and a woman scarred by betrayal.
 
Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a man shot as a traitor to the South, is shunned by proper society and gratefully accepts an invitation from “Aunt” Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation. Expecting to be the Harding’s head housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned when she learns the real reason Elizabeth’s husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Not finding the safe haven she expects, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a Southern man who seems anything but a Southern gentleman.

Branded a traitor by some, Ridley Cooper, a Southern son who chose to fight for the Union, is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him. Determined to learn “the gift” that Belle Meade's head horse trainer and former slave, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley harbors secrets that threaten both their lives.
As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for “betraying” the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again.

About the Author

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded and nominated for numerous industry-leading honors, including the Christy Award, the RITA Award, and the Carol Award. After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and live in Nashville, Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children, and a ten pound silky terrier named Jack.

Learn more about Tamera at her website.