Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Hiram's Honor and Hiram's Hope at Marion Library, Marion, Ks



On March 17, 2015 I presented a reading and map of events in Hiram's Honor and Hiram's Hope to a group of about 20 at Marion Library in Marion, Kansas. Questions centered on the life of the common Civil War soldier,Andersonville, Civil War ancestors, and writing-storytelling styles.  Signed and personalized copies of books were provided for donations to the library.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Hiram's Heart and the faith of Abraham Lincoln












The stress of the presidency and the Civil War shows on Abraham Lincoln (1858 and 1865). No president quoted the Bible more yet his religious views are complex and controversial.  My ancestor Private Terman, after having survived the Civil War and 17 months a prisoner of war (including Andersonville) also exhibited signs of emotional distress and struggles of faith in his pension file documents. I am working on a third book in my account of Hiram's Civil War experiences tentatively entitled Hiram's Heart: To The Shining Shore.

This book would complete a trilogy--- Hiram's Honor, Hiram's Hope, and Hiram's Heart. Since Abraham Lincoln was a model of faith for many Civil War veterans, I am exploring how Lincoln's and my ancestor's struggles to understand God's purposes in their lives and the Civil War might be part of a post-Civil War novel.

To read about Abraham Lincoln's faith, see Mark Noll's article at:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1992/issue33/3311.html