Shattered Hand: Sarah's Secret War

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Clarke and her father, Ted, live a quiet life in Tennessee, even as tension mounts across the country on the subject of abolition vs. states’ rights. When Ted and Sarah accompany a party of men from Massachusetts on a hunting trip, the men’s discussion opens Sarah’s eyes to the complexity of the issues at stake.

After Ted joins the Union Army, Sarah moves to live with her aunt in Knoxville where she is swept into involvement with the Confederate Army. Sarah’s work as a nurse brings her into contact with Matilda, an enslaved woman, as well as a young female soldier who enlisted to fight side-by-side with her husband. Listening to these women’s stories and witnessing firsthand the brutality of war, Sarah is forced to examine her allegiances. And when an old friend from Massachusetts enlists her aid spying for the North, Sarah is forced to decide where her loyalties lie and what she is willing to sacrifice for a cause she might not believe in.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this unique exploration of women’s roles in the Civil War, as told through the lens of one young woman’s evolving view on the issues of her time.

From a young age, J. D. Liddle has enjoyed historical fiction that is anchored by facts. He and his wife of forty-five years live together in Utah.