First published 2002
William Bartholomew returns to New York City from Civil War battlefields, his body maimed but his determination intact. He wants to reverse his fortunes in a nation still bleeding from conflict. In the city, he encounters Jessie, a Creole prostitute who draws him into a scheme rooted in the war's lingering complexities and suffering. Bartholomew also befriends Herman Melville, now working as a deputy customs inspector. The once-celebrated author lives in the shadow of his former literary fame, struggling with family troubles and professional obscurity. As Bartholomew navigates these relationships, he confronts his own fractured conscience and damaged soul. The venture with Jessie becomes both opportunity and moral test. Through surging emotions and conflicting ambitions, he fights to rediscover his appetite for living. Frederick Busch weaves together these damaged lives against the backdrop of a wounded America attempting to heal itself after devastating war.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-dilemma, redemption
Setting: New York City
Period: Civil War
352 pages · Paperback · Gallimard
Content warnings: violence, war