[HBX]≫ Download That Bright Land Terry Roberts Books

That Bright Land Terry Roberts Books

Download As PDF : That Bright Land Terry Roberts Books

That Bright Land Terry Roberts Books

It took a bit of effort to engross myself into That Bright Land. I had just finished reading Amor Towles’ new, very formally written novel (review coming soon), and switching gears to this post-Civil War drama written in the voice of a Union soldier, turned government man, was stark. But once I made the transition, author Terry Roberts had me the rest of the way.

The book is based on little-known, true events. Those in the South had greatly divided loyalties during the War of the States. In North Carolina, where our story takes place, even within small communities, some families chose to fight for the Union, causing great divides within the population and families. The basis for the story is a massacre that took place at Shelton Laurel in Madison County, where soldiers were ordered to execute their neighbors, those some considered traitors. Well, you can imagine the bad blood and ongoing resentments this caused, long after the war’s end.

So Jacob Ballard, a former Union soldier, who happens to have been born in Madison County is sent for to investigate a series of recent murders of Union veterans living in the county. They are dropping one by one, and no one can identify who the murderer is.

Roberts paints a vivid picture of rural North Carolina in an age of both poverty and growth; of a grand hotel and moonshine running; and the transition from slavery to freedom. Clues to the mystery reveal themselves slowly, and our hero has no technology nor team of experts to assist him. It is pure use of smarts and ingenuity to bring the murders to an end - a very different style than so many popular books today, and a bit refreshing.

Along the way, Jacob has his own personal awakening through rediscovering his long-lost roots, finding kinship, and ridding himself of the War’s demons that haunt him so. Some of the more endearing characters could have been better developed, but it was just well enough conveyed to build a well-rounded story. That Bright Land is a solid, quick, and engaging read.

Rating: 3 stars


Tags : Amazon.com: That Bright Land (9781630269753): Terry Roberts: Books,Terry Roberts,That Bright Land,Turner,1630269751,Mystery & Detective - Amateur Sleuth,Mystery & Detective - Historical,Thrillers - Historical,Detective and mystery fiction,Historical fiction,Murder - Investigation - North Carolina - 19th century,North Carolina - 19th century,Serial murders - North Carolina - 19th century,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,AMERICAN MYSTERY & SUSPENSE FICTION,FICTION Mystery & Detective Amateur Sleuth,FICTION Mystery & Detective Historical,FICTION Small Town & Rural,FICTION Thrillers Historical,Fiction,Fiction - Espionage Thriller,Fiction-Historical,FictionMystery & Detective - Amateur Sleuth,FictionMystery & Detective - Historical,FictionSmall Town & Rural,FictionThrillers - Military,GENERAL,General Adult,MysterySuspense,North Carolina,Thrillers - Military

That Bright Land Terry Roberts Books Reviews

Liked learning some history of the Civil War in Western NC. The story is well written.
A very well written novel set in the just post Civil War North Carolina mountains. The characters are well developed and the plot has just enough suspense that it is hard to put down. The author mixers in historical and fictional characters in a very believable manner. The story was most enjoyable and I was sorry to see it end.
GREAT!!! Terry Robers is an amazing writer, he was able to draw me into this time in American History I wanted to continue reading once I started. I am looking forward to reading more from Terry Roberts. More soon please
I am not one that usually enjoys fiction set in and around the Civil War. Yesterday I finished my 3 day binge reading of That Bright Land and it surprised my preconceived notions. This is an easy read with a bit of violence, with a bit of history, and some romance. A recommended good read for lots of people.
Interesting read about the period immediately following the Civil War. The setting is in the western part of NC, where yeoman farmers did not have large plantations necessitating slave labor. So, some men had chosen to fight for the Union. Truly brother against brother during the war.
This was a quick, easy, enjoyable read for me. The story itself is intriguing, but the real strength is in the sense of place the author conveys while intertwining history of the area with the mystery. I lived in those mountains more than 40 years ago and by the end of the book I had regained the "feeling" of the place. Very nice! His previous book (A Short Time to Be Here) is similar. If you liked it, you'll like this one. And vice versa.
Terry Roberts' intriguing tale combines the complicated history of shifting loyalties in isolated Appalachia with the challenge of healing the varied wounds of war, some gruesome while others are buried deep within the characters a boy whose father did not return, a widow whose bed has become a grave, parents whose minds broke, and a soldier who returns to the NC mountains he escaped as a child to find himself embroiled in a gruesome serial murder investigation.

As much as this novel reveals about a little-known aspect of Civil War history, it also explores the question for all times -- how do we damaged humans manage to open ourselves to healing? This novel is rich with examples of those that work and others that do not.

Roberts shows us the mountains, its rivers and trees, and lets us hear the voices of those who lived there. The music "talking back to the day," the unexplainable yet miraculous legends and songs from countries long left behind, and the truth that completion and salvation are still possible kept me reading -- savoring the sounds, eager to solve the mystery, but not wanting to get to the last page.
It took a bit of effort to engross myself into That Bright Land. I had just finished reading Amor Towles’ new, very formally written novel (review coming soon), and switching gears to this post-Civil War drama written in the voice of a Union soldier, turned government man, was stark. But once I made the transition, author Terry Roberts had me the rest of the way.

The book is based on little-known, true events. Those in the South had greatly divided loyalties during the War of the States. In North Carolina, where our story takes place, even within small communities, some families chose to fight for the Union, causing great divides within the population and families. The basis for the story is a massacre that took place at Shelton Laurel in Madison County, where soldiers were ordered to execute their neighbors, those some considered traitors. Well, you can imagine the bad blood and ongoing resentments this caused, long after the war’s end.

So Jacob Ballard, a former Union soldier, who happens to have been born in Madison County is sent for to investigate a series of recent murders of Union veterans living in the county. They are dropping one by one, and no one can identify who the murderer is.

Roberts paints a vivid picture of rural North Carolina in an age of both poverty and growth; of a grand hotel and moonshine running; and the transition from slavery to freedom. Clues to the mystery reveal themselves slowly, and our hero has no technology nor team of experts to assist him. It is pure use of smarts and ingenuity to bring the murders to an end - a very different style than so many popular books today, and a bit refreshing.

Along the way, Jacob has his own personal awakening through rediscovering his long-lost roots, finding kinship, and ridding himself of the War’s demons that haunt him so. Some of the more endearing characters could have been better developed, but it was just well enough conveyed to build a well-rounded story. That Bright Land is a solid, quick, and engaging read.

Rating 3 stars