Ironclad Crinolines: A Historical Novel of the American Civil War - Paperback

by Ray Herbeck (Author)

Two women. Two sides. One war that will change them forever.

Inspired by the remarkable diaries of Union army wife Fannie Ricketts and Confederate diarist Mary Chesnut, Ironclad Crinolines is a sweeping Civil War novel that follows two extraordinary women whose lives unfold on opposite sides of America's greatest conflict. While Mary chronicles the rise of the Confederacy from the heart of Richmond society, Fannie refuses to believe reports that her wounded husband has died after the First Battle of Bull Run.

Determined to save him, Fannie hires a free Black driver and crosses dangerous Confederate territory on what should be a two-day journey. Instead, she becomes trapped for five harrowing months inside a Richmond prison hospital, where war strips away every certainty and survival demands extraordinary courage.

As history draws Fannie and Mary toward an unexpected crossroads, each woman must confront the cost of loyalty, compassion, and the humanity that endures even between enemies.