THE MARCH by E.L. DOCTOROW (2005)

Second reading


In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman led Union troops across the deep South in his March to the Sea. He waged a new kind of war -- a "scorched earth" policy that dispensed with supply lines and demanded that the soldiers live off the land, using what they needed and destroying the rest. This prize-winning novel tells the story of that march, through the experiences and thoughts of some of those who were aggressors and some of those of the South who were affected, for good or ill.

Among those Southerners whose experiences are followed are both the formerly privileged aristocrats and the freed slaves: Pearl, the half-white daughter of her former master, who must decide whether or not to pass for white; Wilma and Cashhouse, former slaves who must decide whether to stay in the South or migrate to big Northern cities; Emily, a judge's daughter who finds herself aiding and enamored of a Union surgeon; Arly and Will, deserters from the Rebels who masquerade as events dictate to save their skins.

Doctorow also follows General Sherman's actions and thoughts. I know not if his depiction is at all historically credible, but it is entirely believable within the framework of the novel.

This is an entirely engrossing novel, which won numerous awards when it was published, including the Pen/Faulkner Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It was also a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. It is one of those books that make novel-reading worthwhile. I highly recommend it.