Flags on the Bayou – James Lee Burke

James Lee Burke is a fabulous writer. It happens I never read any of his Civil War Novels. It was right up my alley. Because it took me awhile to get to this feedback, I don’t remember the names of the many characters, so will focus on the story and their roles. First, I’m not a Civil War buff in the sense that I know what was happening when and where. I am very interested though and Burke portrays the many viewpoints and conflicts in a small part of Louisiana late in the war. Some people have suggested this book is confusing, the characters “out there” and not quite believable. First, I love shifting viewpoints and Burke keeps us on track with the chapter titles so that we can follow very well. Second, he breathes credibility into these characters and humanizes them because none of us, if portrayed accurately from inside our brains would be quite unbelievable compared to the selves we present to the world. His gift, to describe people so you are in their heads and places and times so that you are present as you read is remarkable. I need to read more of his work than I have.

Among other things, the story follows maverick generals from each side of the conflict, wreaking havoc everywhere. Meanwhile, the officially constituted armies continue to fight the dying down war. The Union has control of the Mississippi, but the Confederates have not yet surrendered. We have a Confederate surgeon who thought he would never fight coming home with whatever they called PTSD then. An enslaved woman who he interacts with and develops feelings for. The woman is rented out to a neighbor by the surgeon’s uncle. She must flee when she is accused of murdering this violent man. She is accompanied on her flight by an older abolitionist female schoolteacher. And by the ghost of her little boy, lost at Shiloh. The action is intense, violent and the characters clever and engaging even when evil. Eventually, everyone left standing ends up in a standoff with a weird but sort of satisfying ending. This is one of those books that would greatly benefit from one of those cast of character intros at the beginning, to allow us to follow the bouncing ball better. I often refer back to such cheat sheets too. But I highly recommend it if you understand that it is not an “easy, violence-free read.” It’s about war. It’s about slavery. It’s an incredible piece of work.