Willow Bend: Welcoming Our Soldiers Home

This first book in my series introduces you to some of the soldiers returning to Willow Bend after the Civil War has ended. You will also meet soldiers who had never heard of this village but ended up here in unusual circumstances. More then anything, I wanted to write a series that would encourage people and give them hope. Some of my characters have turned their heartache and tragedy around and will end up helping and comforting others.

Many of the soldiers returned with physical and emotional wounds, much like today's soldiers, except they didn't have the medical knowledge and support groups that we have now. One soldier in particular, Franklin, had a cannon explode while he was lighting it and his face was badly burned and scarred. He believes at first that no one will ever want to be around him, so he leaves the battlefield, having no particular destination and no one to welcome him home.