Field of Redemption

The Saberton Legacy, Book 2

By: Lori Bates Wright

Narrated by: Austenne Grey

They say confession is good for the soul. But revealing too much could prove deadly.

When devoted Governess Abigail McFadden discovers her charge has run off to join the Union army on his 14th birthday, her impetuous decision to go after him catapults her behind enemy lines and into a life-changing fight for survival.

Failing to locate the boy, Abby is stranded in Confederate Georgia with no means to get home. After taking a nursing position in Macon's confederate hospital, she comes under suspicion as a Union spy. Her only consolation is the work she does outside of the hospital walls in a shanty town of unwanted orphans.

Confederate officer Ian Saberton, a theological graduate of Yale, is thrust into war and forced to choose sides. His greatest struggle becomes a fight for his soul as his faith and deep convictions are put to the test. When Sherman advances on Atlanta, Ian is sent to prepare his home state for enemy invasion.

Headquartered in Macon, he encounters a town full of civilians oblivious to the imminent danger bearing down on them. He and his men must see the city secured, while avoiding a passel of matchmaking socialites determined to see him married.

When Abby is brought up on false charges and scheduled to be hanged, she has no choice but to trust the handsome Confederate officer who offers the only way of escape. But will deep secrets pitting them on opposite sides destroy the fragile bond between them?

©2019 Lori Bates Wright (P)2021 Lori Bates Wright

Loved Every Word!

I was so excited to listen to the second book in this series and I enjoyed it just as much, if not better than the first story!
Set near the end of the civil war, when Sherman was making his march of destruction on Georgia, we find Colonel Ian Saberton and Abbie McFadden, a nurse from the North.

Again, this grabbed me quickly with the fabulous narrator and the humor, suspense and historical aspect of the storyline.
Abbie has secrets and a heavy burden, while Ian has a few of his own. As these two navigate their way to romance, the supporting characters are amazing. But there is also sadness as the reality of the war is a big part of the journey.

What I really loved was the main story is based in Macon, Georgia and I grew up about 90 miles from it and also from Savannah, so I learned even more of the history..

The major problem I have now, is that book 3 is not on audible! Seriously, I would love to continue on and will have to read the books. I just love audible because it seems the characters come more alive and the scenes more vivid! Loved every second!

5 stars

Field of Redemption by Lori Bates Wright
Series: The Saberton Legacy 2
Run Time: 9 hrs and 28 mins
Genre: Christian historical fiction
Narrated by Austenne Grey
Better than the first
Summary:
The back cover copy pretty much outlines the entire story. Abigail McFadden travels down South then gets stuck there in the middle of the Civil War. The womenfolk of Macon sort of take her in.

Colonel Ian Saberton has orders to prep the cities and towns for Sherman’s march through Georgia.

Additional Comments:
• Disclaimer: I really like Civil War tales, so that is in this book’s favor.
• As with book 1, Austenne Grey did a lovely job with the narration. She has credible male, female, British, Southern, and normal American accents. Some scenes weren’t easy because they had several Southern ladies and gents present, but the narrator handled these well.
• Stayed up late to finish. That’s always a great sign for a book’s quality.
• The title doesn’t quite fit. Oh it nails the genre swell, but as far as I can tell, has zip to do with the book itself. That’s a fairly minor complaint.
• I don’t think it’s meant to be a funny book, but there are plenty of hilarious situations. One of my favorite little parts is when Cora, pretty much the queen in that town, tells this poor soldier kid he’ll let them by or she’ll have a word with his momma.
• Bad guy’s a little over the top evil, but it fits the book well.
• Even though parts of the book are small town drama, I never felt like nothing was happening, which is a rarity.
• 4/5 Characters: Abby and Ian are both paragons of good, but it works. Cora and the townswomen are deliciously meddlesome. Abby’s flaws of not being able to cook or sew make sense given her background.
• End twist was a nice touch.

Conclusion:
A near picture-perfect Christian historical fiction novel.

*I received a free copy of the audiobook. I have freely chosen to review it. All thoughts are my own.

Great book

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I was very happy with it!
The story was interesting and informative. I loved the main characters and enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. I loved that there were Christian themes throughout but it wasn’t overly preachy and irritating.
The narrator was awesome- Che had great voices for all the characters and she had a soothing voice.
I can’t wait to read more from this author.

What a Wonderful Book 2!

The narrator, Austenne Grey, did a fabulous job with this engaging story. She did great character voices and reflected the action of the story very well. Her voice was pleasant and made listening easy. This historical fiction was well researched and realistic. I absolutely loved these characters and their story. As the Civil War drags on, hardships continue for everyone. Yet as these characters press on, lessons are learned. The romantic thread ties this book together in such a beautiful way. I also really appreciated the quotes that begin each chapter because they related to the story wonderfully. I’m glad that I didn’t miss this story. I was given a copy of this audio book. All opinions are my own.

Easy Listen!

This audio book is an easy and fun listen! Taking place during the end of the Civil War adds some nice historical elements to a clean and exciting romance story that will keep you engaged till the end. The conclusion is a little too "tied in a bow" for my liking, but fans of the genre will appreciate it. It is also well written and the narrator does a wonderful job with accents and bringing the story to life!

Worth fighting for!

I didn’t realize until I began to listen, that this was book two in the series, even so, it felt like a stand alone. Abby is a sweet, pure hearted, hard worker, who is caught in the war between the North and South. Because she’s a Northerner in Southern lands, one could consider her a spy, until you get to know who she is and what she stands for. The hero is a good, honest, admirable leader who is lost. Battles rage around him, but the biggest battle will be fought within. A great story well written, well worth getting lost in.
The reader had a clear, voice with good variety for the characters. Her pace was easy to follow; just right. She was able to bring the characters to life with her talents. I would definitely read this book again and will recommend it to all my friends!

Excellent narration with skilled voicing

I enjoyed the narration very much! Grey crafts distinct voices for each character, with delightful humor and sensual subtext in the myriad of southern accents. Her voice is easy on the ears and very compelling. I am usually not a fan of Christian romance, but the religious elements are managed with a mercifully light touch. The cultural fundamentalisms of southern femininity are made more palatable with comedy. I have to say that I was a bit uncomfortable with the author’s side-stepping away from depicting any of the atrocities of slavery. I understand the intent to awaken recognition of the humanity of the enemy, which is done with sensitivity and pathos, but to write a self-consciously moral story while simultaneously avoiding engagement with one of the greatest moral stains in our nations history feels like a very weak choice. This is the only book in this series that I have listened to, so I do not know if Wright has or will challenge herself to dig deeper into the realities of slavery in earlier or later books. I believe she has the writing chops to do it and I hope for the sake of moral integrity that she has done it or will do it. I was provided a free copy of this audiobook and this has been my very honest review.

New Perspective

All of the time I was listening to this book, I felt like I was getting new a perspective on this period of the Civil War. The characters were real and the situations they faced seemed more real. Abby was a northern woman in the south which put her in a unique and dangerous position. But no matter, she strived to be kind and helpful to the Confederate people and soldiers. Ian, a Confederate Colonel, became her protector. There is adventure, romance, mystery in this story. It was the perfect companion of another book in this series that I had previously listened to. I want to get more!

The narrator, Austenne Grey does a great job, as always. A good narrator truly enhances the story!

I requested this audio book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Truth will set you free

I enjoyed this second book in the Saberton series. The narrator was good. My only complaint, would be that the story was long, but it served a purpose to give us all a different viewpoint of war. Abigail took off looking for her charge, into Confederate Georgia and when she is stranded there with no way home to the North, she starts working in the hospital. It also lets her help the forgotten orphans in the shantytown. She meets Ian Saberton, here in Macon. They are both taken with each other, but they must learn to trust. As the war rages on the field it also rages closer to home. The author does a fine job of describing the civil war, from both sides.
I was given a copy of the book by the author for an honest review.

Enjoyable

This was a good book. It contained a good mix of history, romance and suspense to keep reader engaged and trying to figure out what happens next. Some surprises are thrown in a long the way, but the ending was just what I'd hoped for

The narrative was well done.

I received a free copy of this audiobook and I am voluntarily leaving my review.