The Crossing

Prolific author Morris (House of Winslow series) opens a new series set in the years leading up to the Civil War. Widower Daniel Tremayne returns to his Amish roots, but his son, Yancy, joins a Virginia militia and becomes one of "Stonewall's Boys" in the War between the States. The novel is rich with characters struggling to make sense of the war and of Amish pacifism while maintaining loyalty to family. Yancy's grandmother says, "I saw that you'd decided to be a soldier. And we always told you that we would respect your decisions, and we do. But I have to tell you that it grieves me, it truly does." Injured in battle, Yancy is nursed back to health by Lorena, who wrestles with her own past. The first in "The Last Cavaliers" series combines adventure and romance in a thick historical and religious setting that fills the page with believable missives, news reports, and a love story in the midst of war. (Feb.)