Ash Thompson has been posing as a stalwart Union soldier during the Civil War. However, he is not all he pretends to be. In fact, exhibiting exceptional bravery, moxie, heart and concern for why the war is happening at all, Ash never reveals that he is actually a she, a lovelorn wife who has left her husband behind on their family farm and moved across battle lines because she knows she can do it and believes it’s the right thing to do.

NEVERHOME is a carefully written tome about a woman’s spirited ascension into the midst of one of the most heinous experiences on American soil. The emotional wallop that it packs, through the simple diary-like telling of the day-to-day struggles of this exceptional young lady, makes Laird Hunt’s latest novel a haunting and lyrical literary set piece.

"The emotional wallop that it packs, through the simple diary-like telling of the day-to-day struggles of this exceptional young lady, makes Laird Hunt’s latest novel a haunting and lyrical literary set piece."

Ash’s voice is fresh and clean, giving a thoughtful and clear-minded perspective on a very disturbing world. When she encounters open graves and boots half-filled with human remains, her horror becomes our horror. I’m surprised, though, that she is never discovered to be a woman by the troops with whom she is embedded --- especially since it is clear from her entries that she is often recognized by other women along the way, like the young lady who loses her chemise while retreating to a tree for safety. Ash climbs up and delivers her underwear back to her. Then there is a moment. And that moment happens at other times throughout the narrative, making the reader wonder when a man is going to learn her secret and reveal it to the rest of the world.

Ash’s journey back to her beloved Bartholomew, who we are told often isn’t up to the task of being a part of the armed forces, will remind many of COLD MOUNTAIN. Like Charles Frazier’s Civil War romance, NEVERHOME tugs at the heartstrings and not only keeps readers interested in the daily strife and Ash’s survival, but also leaves them to anticipate the hopeful reunion of brave Ash and her true love. Why is he not out there instead of her? Well, that little mystery certainly helps keep the engine charging on this fine book.

The limitation of the first-person narrative made me want to see Ash through someone else’s eyes. Certainly, the people she encounters have opinions about her, but we only see their personal responses through Ash’s descriptions. NEVERHOME would be nothing short of an American classic if we had a little perspective on Ash. Still, this is a minor point that shouldn’t take away from a beautifully and carefully written narrative that gives an air of mystery and intrigue to an otherwise overdone period of history.