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White Doves at Morning: A Novel
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Price:
$7.99
$4.21*
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| Part No: | 0743466624 |
| Manufacturer: | Pocket Star |
| MFG Part: | |
| Customer Rating: | 4.0 / 5.0 |
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A riveting evocation of the Civil War, drawn from the true family history of "America's best novelist" (The Denver Post), JAMES LEE BURKE
1861. Two young Southerners, friends despite their differing political views and backgrounds, enlist in the 18th Louisiana regiment of the Confederate Army: Robert Perry, wealthy and privileged, and irreverent Willie Burke, the son of Irish immigrants, face the trials of battle and find redemption in the love of a passionate and committed abolitionist, Abigail Downing, and in the courageous struggle of Flower Jamison, a beautiful slave. Filled with a cast of unforgettable characters, and penetrating a landscape of shattering Civil War bloodshed as few novels have, this epic from an American literary giant endows readers with the gift of experiencing the past through new eyes, while its timeless prose style -- at once luminous and brutal -- ensures the legacy of this bloodiest of conflicts will never be lost.
| Historical Fiction about the Civil War from James Lee Burke | 2010-08-09 | 3 / 5 |
| "White Doves at Morning" (2002) is a standalone historical novel by James Lee Burke, critically-acclaimed and highly-popular author of the Dave Robicheaux series of Southern mystery novels, noir police procedurals set, at least initially, in what is more or less his home turf, about which we've recently been hearing so much, America's Gulf Coast, more particularly New Orleans and New Iberia, Louisiana.
Like the Robicheaux novels, "White Doves" is set largely in the Gulf Coast, entirely in the South, during the American Civil War and the ensuing period, known as "Reconstruction," though there was precious little reconstruction getting done. At the center of the novel are, apparently, two of Burke's own ancestors, Robert Perry, from a slave-owning, wealthy family, and Willie Burke, from a family of Irish immigrants, both apparently decent and conscientious men, who, even so, join the Confederate Army. Both men rather fancy Abigail Dowling, a beautiful Massachusetts abolitionist who has taken up residence in New Iberia, the better to fight slavery. Burke has taught to read and write- against all local law and custom-- Flower Jamison, beautiful mulatto daughter of a slave and Irv Jamison, the ruthless owner of the immense Angola Plantation. Which Jamison will convert to the notorious Angola prisoner after war's end. (We'll be introduced to many rich and arrogant men in Burke's work).
As ever, Burke's descriptions of the country where he was born, and has set his most successful novels, are outstanding. His description of the Civil War, a horrendously long and bloody event, and its effects upon man, beast, and countryside are also outstanding, particularly the famous battles of Shiloh and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I'd say he knew quite a lot about that war, must have researched it further, and successful absorbed his research findings. His depiction of his female protagonists is, I'd say, less successful: Burke may sympathize with women and their problems, but that doesn't mean he understands them, either one.
Louisiana is more or less home country for Burke, who was born in Houston, Texas, in 1936, and grew up on the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast. He attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute; later received B. A. and M. A. degrees from the University of Missouri in 1958 and 1960 respectively. Over the years he worked as a landman for Sinclair Oil Company, a pipeliner, land surveyor, newspaper reporter, college English professor, social worker on Skid Row in Los Angeles, clerk for the Louisiana Employment Service, and instructor in the U. S. Job Corps.
Some of Burke's more recent, best-selling novels in the Robicheaux series are Jolie Blon's Bounce, Purple Cane Road (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries), and Cadillac Jukebox (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries). Burke's work has twice been awarded an Edgar for Best Crime Novel of the Year. He has also been a recipient of a Breadloaf and Guggenheim Fellowship and an NEA grant. His early novel The Lost Get-Back Boogie was rejected 111 times over a period of nine years, and upon publication by Louisiana State University press was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. At least eight of his novels have been New York Times bestsellers.
"White Doves," is, to me, a perfectly acceptable, good job of work, but it's neither outstanding, nor particularly memorable. Seems like most, if not all, mystery authors, even the best of them, itch to try their hands at something else, and Burke is as free as anyone to try his hand at different genres. But he has a powerful creation in Robicheaux, one he is not likely to be able to duplicate elsewhere. Certainly not in "White Doves."
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| I have been reading James Lee Burke's books for the past year. Gone through them like a great meal.
In general they blow my mind. Burke combines fascinating characters that motivate interesting plots with prose that
whistles off the page. Often in Burke's books there is either references to the Civil War or actual
reminisces. Finally a full blown novel of the War. Every page feels like Burke must have relished finally writing his Civil War novel. I haven't dared writing a review of any of Burke's books because he is just too damn good to review. White Doves somehow has moved me to write. Usually I am not interested in historical novels. White Doves makes books like Gone With The Wind an embarrassment. Do yourself a favor read James Lee Burke. Take a trip back in our countries history. |
| Great scenes, poor dialogue | 2008-09-13 | 4 / 5 |
| I received this book in a box lot on ebay and decided to give it a try. I found the author's ability to write vivid and dramatic scenes very impressive. There are enough reviews here to tell the plot of the book, so I won't go into that.
My main criticism of the book is the bland dialogue that took me right out of the historic mood that the author, otherwise, does such a great job of creating. As a historical fiction author, I have taken great pains to study 19th century language and speech, so maybe I am overly sensitive. But there were many modern words and usages that stopped me dead and were very disappointing.
That said, it appears the author is usually a mystery/crime writer, and judging from the pictures he paints with words, is a good one.
My other criticism is that the plot leans a little too far for me toward the often-taught myth that slavery was the cause of the War Between the States. I prefer seeing a little more balance - even in fiction.
Jessica James
Award-winning author
of Shades of Gray
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| Well worth reading | 2008-08-12 | 3 / 5 |
| | This is a very well written novel, with lots of good Civil War history worked in, although I agree with one other reviewer here that at times the characters became "preachy stereotypes," and another who said some characters' actions were unrealistic for the society, time period, etc. But, still, I greatly enjoyed it, and I found Willie Burke to be a very engaging character - I loved his smart remarks made almost always at the worst possible moments! I also like the complicated character of Flower's white father - I kept hoping he'd become a better person and was suprised more than once by his actions, good and bad. Flower is maybe a bit too good to be true, but I still felt myself hoping for her to get through all her ordeals and make a good life for herself. It's not a romantic look at the times, like Gone With The Wind, so don't expect that "vibe," but it's got content that will make you sometimes wince, shudder, laugh or cry. Definitely worth the reading! |
| Burke - forever the master of words | 2008-02-20 | 4 / 5 |
| I listed to this book on audio cassette. The narrator, Ed Sala is a master of many voices. His voice alone makes the book worth listening to. And of course, James Lee Burke is a master of words and a master of creating a plot and story line that is intriguing and suspenseful.
A wonderful and power book to listen to that brings many aspects of the Civil War and how it effecter ordinary people.
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