In a departure from his first-rate thrillers, James Lee Burke has produced a literary work that shows off his impressive versatility. FLAGS ON THE BAYOU is firmly set in the South during the latter years of the Civil War. Chapters are told from different characters’ points of view, which makes for a memorable reading experience.

We are first introduced to Wade Lufkin, who helps his uncle run the Lady of the Lake plantation in Louisiana. Wade is torn about the Civil War and confesses to having voted for Lincoln. He has a hard time seeing his staff as property, yet he feels they have a good life and are well provided for thanks to his family’s benevolence.

"James Lee Burke considers FLAGS ON THE BAYOU to be his best work. It is certainly his most personal and allows readers to step back in time to one of the most tumultuous periods in U.S. history through the eyes of those who experienced it."

Pierre Cauchon imposes the law in this part of the country and refuses to give up control to the constantly marching Union army that is taking over the South piece by piece and emancipating slaves along the way. Cauchon is one of the most interesting and complex characters here and goes through a major epiphany before the book reaches its conclusion.

Cauchon initially is on the lookout for Hannah Laveau, a slave --- or, as he refers to her, “darky.” Not only is she considered to be an agitator for the anti-slavery cause, she is purported to have voodoo powers and has been rumored to be a witch. She is the most unique character here. Her search for her son Samuel, who was lost to her during a skirmish, will pull at the heartstrings, and readers will be rooting for their reunion.

Wade confronts Hannah, who is wanted for the murder of Minos Suarez, a local landowner. But after we learn about the many inhumane crimes he perpetrated, it will be difficult to mourn his loss or the brutal manner in which it happened. Partially as a result of Hannah’s alleged misdeed, Cauchon and Wade become fast adversaries and agree to a duel.

Hannah is captured at one point, along with Florence Milton, a white woman with whom she is friendly, but they are able to escape. Eventually they are detained by a trio of nefarious slave trappers and have to end their lives in a fight for the death. This now makes Hannah and Florence public enemy #1 with the South, and the hunt for them will continue until the end of the novel.

We also are provided with the Northern sentiment, which is shown through the sadistic eyes of Colonel Carleton Hayes. He attempts to come across as gregarious to the citizens of the South, but he has a deadly agenda that needs to be fed. The best description of the Civil War or any war comes from Hayes: “War is a confession of failure, and its perpetrators are the merchants of death, not because they are killers but because they never had the courage to live a decent life.”

James Lee Burke considers FLAGS ON THE BAYOU to be his best work. It is certainly his most personal and allows readers to step back in time to one of the most tumultuous periods in U.S. history through the eyes of those who experienced it.