Reluctant to shed her riding trousers and fully submerse herself in her role as a growing woman, Jana Brady joins the Union army in the fight for her country. Hoping for Sweet Glory, she cuts her hair and disguises herself as a young cavalryman, eager to fight the Rebels, aided by Leanne Perham, another girl from town who has donned the Union blues. Disguised as Johnnie and Leander, Jana and Leanne form a close connection with other misfits in their unit, twelve-year-old Charlie, who's hidden his age to provide for his ma, and Irishman Keeley, who inspires men to abandon their inner conflicts and band together. Jana comes to greatly admire Keeley, who frequently needles Johnnie about the occasional appearance of feminine attributes.
While Jana enjoys the camaraderie within her unit, soldiering and nursing severely test her notions of glory in war. And the possibility of dying as a man hits home when she witnesses a man and his disguised bride die hand in hand on the battlefield. Jana determines to find a way home, with the blossoming incentive of renewing a relationship with Keeley once she is again living as a woman. But this possibility seems even more unlikely when Keeley is captured and Jana is hit by a bullet. Will she be able to rescue him from the Confederates' clutches? And will Keeley love her for her true self? Lisa Potocar masterfully interweaves a moving love story with a sweeping portrayal of the heartache of the Civil War and the courage of key figures in history.
Acclaim for Sweet Glory
First-Place Winner, 2009 Maryland Writers' Association & Southwest Writers' Young Adult Novel Contests and 2013 Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office's TV ME! Contest
Bronze Medalist, 2016 Readers' Favorite Choice Awards for Young Adult (General) Fiction
"This book combines historical accuracy with romance and a suspenseful narrative that will keep readers hooked."
--Publishers Weekly
"A wonderful supplement to a school Civil War history lesson as well as an entertaining read any time for all ages."
--Historical Novel Society
"Kudos, Lisa Potocar, you've written something wonderful."
--Author Ginger Simpson, historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com
