Mercy Street on PBS

I have found myself totally captivated by Mercy Street on PBS. Based on real events, this six-part series follows the lives of nurse volunteers on opposite sides of the Civil War conflict. This medical drama is set at the Mansion House Hospital in Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Mary Phinney, a New England widow who is sent by Dorothea Dix to be the Head Nurse at Mansion House. Her arrival upsets Nurse Anne Hastings (Tara Summers) who worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War and has much more field experience than Phinney. To suddenly find herself reporting to this newcomer does not sit well. It also doesn't sit well with Dr. Byron Hale (Norbert Leo Butz), an egotistical yet insecure Army surgeon who is intimidated by civilian contract surgeon, Dr. Jedediah Foster (Josh Radnor), with whom Phinney seems to get along well.

Emma Green, played by newcomer Hannah James, is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Alexandria. That changes with the war. She finds her family's luxurious hotel turned into a hospital and the family business and home occupied by the Union Army.

Appalled by the treatment of Confederate soldiers at Mansion House, Emma becomes a volunteer and rallies strongly for their needs to be met. She and Phinney are at odds, but they seem to admire each other for their desire to help people.

Samuel Diggs (McKinley Belcher) is a free laborer employed by Dr. Summers. Since he's lived with a doctor he's picked up some medical knowledge and ability that is unknown to most of the residents of Mansion House. He cares for Aurelia Johnson (Shalita Grant), who is a contraband working as a laundress at the hospital. Aurelia is eager to keep him at arm's length, as her mind is on someone else important to her.

This exciting cast of fictional and historical characters draws you into their world and the conflict that divided a nation. Through triumphs and tragedies these people deliver day in and day out; they give when they don't seem to have anything left to give.

With a 21st century lens we can see how wrong slavery is; but in the 1860s this was a way of life for Southerners, who saw Yankees as interfering where they didn't belong. The issues Mercy Street depicts are many--some that plague us til this day. It also deals with the difficulty of so many diverse personalities living and working together under one roof.

One thing I believe is true for most of the characters is that they are stumbling around trying to figure out where they belong. What happens to Emma and her younger sister Alice will change them forever--just like it did in real life. Mary Phinney has lost a husband and now finds purpose as a nurse at Mansion House, but most men don't want her there--especially the Chief Surgeon.

My one and only complaint about this excellent series is that it is so gory. Mercy Street captures the horrors of war and all the blood and gore that goes with it. If they would have curbed that back, it would be perfect.

I look forward to the final two episodes. If you have Amazon Prime you can watch the past episodes for free. The show is also available on DVD.

Mailbox Monday: February 8

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Looks like my mailbox will be looking like the above picture if the weatherman is right. The kids were off from school Friday because of the weather, and it might happen again today. I'll know if I get the call at about 5:30 am.

My mailbox was unexpectedly busy last week. I knew some of these were coming, but they arrived all at once.

A captivating and historical story of two young men on opposing sides of war. In 1874, the U.S. Army sent troops to subdue and move the Native Americans of the southern plains to reservations. Brothers of the Buffalo follows Private Washington Vance Jr., an African-American calvaryman, and Wolf, a Cheyenne warrior, during the brief and brutal war that followed. Filled with action and suspense from both sides of the battle, this is a tale of conflict and unlikely friendship in the Wild West.

Two copies arrived, so I will be giving one away.

All the color and variety of a quaint Amish shop in a charming collection of novellas by four of your favorite authors. Feel free to come in and browse!

I will read Vannetta's story first and then polish off the collection. The next two books are for book tours.

All of the angels in Heaven are preparing for a big event, and Crystal, a little angel, wants to be a part of it. But the more she tries, the more the angels tell her that she is just too little. That is, until God himself gives her the biggest, most important task of all ... going with the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, and bringing God's greatest gift to the world. But can Crystal do what God asks? Journey with Crystal as she discovers that God sometimes chooses the most unlikely for the greatest tasks. Crystal also discovers that you are never too little to do great things. You just need to believe and never give up.

The Daffodils Still Grow is a full-color illustrated book that portrays life after a loved one dies as seen from the observations of a motherless child.

What did you receive in your mailbox?

CFBA: Soul's Prisoner by Cara Luecht

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingSoul's Prisoner(WhiteFire Publishing (December 15, 2015))byCara Luecht



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word from the Author:

I never planned to be a writer.

In fact, it took me a while to finish college. But I did, and here I am. And I now I can’t imagine not being a writer.

By day, I am an English Instructor for a local college, mother to four amazing children, and wife to an eternally patient and supportive husband.

In the evening, when I can squirrel away some quiet time, I read and write historical fiction.

I have a B.A. in English Lit. from UW Whitewater and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ.

If you have a question for me, or if you are local and would like me to stop by your book club or writer’s group, please drop me a line via the “Ask the Author” tab. I always love the opportunity to meet with others who share my love of books.

ABOUT THE BOOK

She'll fight for her future...but can she escape her past?

Chicago, Winter, 1891

Rachel is in danger. She s seen too much.

She creeps along the cement walls through the dank underbelly of the asylum. She d never planned to leave her quiet farm life, never thought she d find a place in the city, never imagined she d be in the kind of danger that would have her cowering in Dunning s cold, labyrinthine basement.

Jenny has finally found her place. After a childhood of abuse, she has friends, a real job, and her only wish is to give her adopted son the kind of life she never had.

A life of stability, without the risk and uncertainty of a father.

But when Jeremy, Rachel s brother, stumbles into their warehouse, asking for help to find his missing sister, Jenny s carefully constructed life begins to crumble.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Soul's Prisoner, go HERE.

New Year's Resolution Update

As you know, I made a resolution this year to exercise and eat better. As such, I joined a Facebook group that offers workout routines, recipe ideas, and other helpful tips to keep me on track.

The first two weeks of challenges were successful. I joined another challenge this past week, but failed miserably. I only managed to get two workout days in. Now, my goal was to exercise three days a week when the new year started, but I've been doing better than that. It wasn't until this hectic week that things fell apart. Looks like some fine-tuning of the schedule is in order.

The good thing is that eating healthy foods is becoming easier. Over the past five weeks less junk foods and processed foods have made it into the shopping cart and more fruits and vegetables and organic foods have been brought home.

Even though it is impossible for me to make things ahead on the weekend (Realtors work weekends), I can usually make one or two meals and use them throughout the week to stay on track. I also keep the refrigerator stocked with Greek yogurt for snacks. I usually boil seven eggs all at once, so I can add some protein to my breakfast. 

This week I want to focus on getting back to exercising five days and drinking more water. 

Grammarly Says Valentine’s Day Could Be Saved By Good Grammar

Who knew romance could be saved by good grammar? The folks at Grammarly made an interesting discovering when the team behind this popular writing app partnered with the online dating website, eHarmony, to determine whether the writing skills displayed in people’s online dating profiles affect their chances of finding romance. Check out their fun infographic that charts the results and other online dating stats.

Free for Kindle: Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot

Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister. Charlotte's letters have been uncharacteristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. When her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring. Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.

Abigail plans to marry when she returns to Vermont, just as soon as she attends to her sister. As the summer passes, she finds herself drawn to this rugged land and to a certain soldier determined to persuade her to stay. When summer ends, will she go back East, or will she find her heart's true home?

File Size: 1915 KB
Print Length: 418 pages
Publisher: Revell; Original edition (January 1, 2012)
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B005PQUXAG

Purchase here!

Mailbox Monday - Feb 1

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Welcome to February! It was mostly a snow free January. We had one storm that dumped two to three inches around here, but we were supposed to get hammered so we can't complain. I do feel badly, however, for the many people who depend upon snowplowing this time of year.

Last week was a good one. Real estate is making it a bit hard to work out, but I got two days of exercise in. I'm still eating healthy--except my one can of soda a day. I've got some lab work I need to get done for the bone doctor, so I will take care of that tomorrow. Now, if the tennis elbow will go away, I will be right as rain.

Only one thing in my mailbox last week, but I'm okay with that. I treated myself with a writing productivity book for only $1.99. Thanks to my bi-monthly writing group I am making good strides with my middle grade novel, but I want this extra push to see if I can finish it.

Chris Baty, founder of the wildly successful literary marathon known as National Novel Writing Month, has completely revised and expanded his definitive handbook for extreme noveling. Chris pulls from over 15 years of results-oriented writing experience to pack this compendium with new tips and tricks, ranging from week-by-week quick reference guides to encouraging advice from authors, and much more. His motivating mix of fearless optimism and practical solutions to common excuses gives both first-time novelists and results-oriented writers the kick-start they need to embark on an exhilarating creative adventure.

What did your mailbox hold last week? Anything exciting?