Before I read NEVERHOME, I did not realize that there were actually women who disguised themselves as men and fought in the Civil War. NEVERHOME is a fictional account of one such woman named Constance. When the story opens, Constance is living a quiet life on a farm in Indiana but she is eager to see more of the world outside of her rural farm. She decides that fighting in the Civil War will give her the chance for travel and adventure.

Constance wraps her chest to disguise her womanly features, wears men's clothes and heads down south to fight on the side of The Union in The Civil War. Not only does she take on a new identity, but she also takes on a new name, Ash Thompson.

Ash fights very bravely in battle, and she is oftentimes a better solider in battle than the men. She quickly becomes a legend among her fellow soldiers, especially because of her skills as a sharp shooter. But as she fights, lives with and becomes friends with the other soldiers, she is constantly afraid that her secret will be revealed. Quite frankly, I found it amazing that throughout the entire story only a handful of people suspect her true identity.

NEVERHOME is a vivid tale of the horror of warfare as we experience trauma of battle through Constance's eyes. This book was also well-researched and Laird Hunt even uses the correct accents and turns of phrase from someone in this era.

The dream sequences that Constance has are realistic and haunting. I suspect that she had what we would call nowadays PTSD. She is so disturbed by some of the terrible deaths that she witnesses that reality and dreams start to blend together.

I found this story so captivating that I actually read it in one day. I was eager to find out what happens to Constance and the ending was definitely a surprise. I highly recommend NEVERHOME to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and especially novels set during the Civil War.

Book Summary

She calls herself Ash, but that's not her real name. She is a farmer's faithful wife, but she has left her husband to don the uniform of a Union soldier in the Civil War. NEVERHOME tells the harrowing story of Ash Thompson during the battle for the South. Through bloodshed and hysteria and heartbreak, she becomes a hero, a folk legend, a madwoman and a traitor to the American cause.

Laird Hunt's dazzling new novel throws a light on the adventurous women who chose to fight instead of stay behind. It is also a mystery story: why did Ash leave and her husband stay? Why can she not return? What will she have to go through to make it back home?

In gorgeous prose, Hunt's rebellious young heroine fights her way through history, and back home to her husband, and finally into our hearts.