This biography, written as a narrative, is based on solid genealogical research and historical facts. The book invites the reader into a page of history which is seldom seen; that of a young woman's perspective on war. It gives an authentic account of what it would have been like to be a teenager during the Civil War era.
As her experience unfolds Martha tells her story through dialogue of those surrounding her and letters from her father. Its gripping story line, characters, and dialogue bring it to life.
She finds herself growing up amid constant change, questioned loyalties, and bigotry. Yankee raids and riots bring unforeseen turmoil. The wisdom of her grandparents and the gentle love of a young man hold her world together.
Her story is divided by seasons from the Winter of 1863 to the Fall of 1867. It begins when her father joins the Confederate Army, is taken prisoner, and released. During the ensuing years her grandparents fall victim to a Yankee raid and her new found love enlists as a Rebel to see action in Tupelo. Her father is recaptured only to enlist as a Galvanized Yankee in the Union Army. That enlistment takes him to Fort Caspar and Fort Laramie in the Dakota Territory.
At home Martha and her family suffer from fear, grief, poverty and loneliness as they deal with carpetbaggers and scalawags. After the absence of four years her father returns to Mississippi only to be seen as a traitor. The account reaches its climax with Martha's father being wounded and a family friend killed in a shooting during a time of civil unrest.
The story is of Martha's burden to deal with her emotions and a desire to come to an understanding of the world in which she lives. The heritage we enjoy today came in part from honest, poor, hardworking families like Martha's who strove to maintain their dignity and faith while dealing fairly toward their fellowman during difficult times. Although Martha's life might seem dark from the events retold in the book, her attitude and that of her parents and grandparents were not.
Miss Martha's Cross is the sensitive and realistic account of a young woman's life during our country's darkest years. In recalling the burden of this young woman caught up in the Civil War and Reconstruction of the South, the author wishes to inspire others to explore their family roots.
