White Doves at Morning - Hardcover

Burke

4.01

2,722 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0743244710 ISBN 13: 9780743244718

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002

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For years, critics have acclaimed the power of James Lee Burke's writing, the luminosity of his prose, the psychological complexity of his characters, the richness of his landscapes. Over the course of twenty novels and one collection of short stories, he has developed a loyal and dedicated following among both critics and general readers. His thrillers, featuring either Louisiana cop Dave Robicheaux or Billy Bob Holland, a hardened Texas-based lawyer, have consistently appeared on national bestseller lists, making Burke one of America's most celebrated authors of crime fiction. Now, in a startling and brilliantly successful departure, Burke has written a historical novel -- an epic story of love, hate, and survival set against the tumultuous background of the Civil War and Reconstruction. At the center of the novel are James Lee Burke's own ancestors, Robert Perry, who comes from a slave-owning family of wealth and privilege, and Willie Burke, born of Irish immigrants, a poor boy who is as irreverent as he is brave and decent. Despite their personal and political conflicts with the issues of the time, both men join the Confederate Army, choosing to face ordeal by fire, yet determined not to back down in their commitment to their moral beliefs, to their friends, and to the abolitionist woman with whom both have become infatuated. One of the most compelling characters in the story, and the catalyst for much of its drama, is Flower Jamison, a beautiful young black slave befriended, at great risk to himself, by Willie and owned by -- and fathered by, although he will not admit it -- Ira Jamison. Owner of Angola Plantation, Ira Jamison is a true son of the Old South and alsoa ruthless businessman, who, after the war, returns to the plantation and re-energizes it by transforming it into a penal colony, which houses prisoners he rents out as laborers to replace the slaves who have been emancipated. Against all local law and customs, Flower learns from Willie to read and write, and receives the help and protection of Abigail Dowling, a Massachusetts abolitionist who had come south several years prior to help fight yellow fever and never left, and who has attracted the eye of both Willie and Robert Perry. These love affairs are not only fraught with danger, but compromised by the great and grim events of the Civil War and its aftermath. As in all of Burke's writings, "White Doves at Morning" is full of wonderful, colorful, unforgettable villains. Some, like Clay Hatcher, are pure "white trash" (considered the lowest of the low, they were despised by the white ruling class and feared by former slaves). From their ranks came the most notorious of the vigilante groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, the White League and the Knights of the White Camellia. Most villainous of all, though, are the petty and mean-minded Todd McCain, owner of New Iberia's hardware store, and the diabolically evil Rufus Atkins, former overseer of Angola Plantation and the man Jamison has placed in charge of his convict labor crews. Rounding out this unforgettable cast of characters are Carrie LaRose, madam of New Iberia's house of ill repute, and her ship's-captain brother Jean-Jacques LaRose, Cajuns who assist Flower and Abigail in their struggle to help the blacks of the town. With battle scenes at Shiloh and in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that no reader will everforget, and set in a time of upheaval that affected all men and all women at all levels of society, "White Doves at Morning" is an epic worthy of America's most tragic conflict, as well as a book of substance, importance, and genuine originality, one that will undoubtedly come to be regarded as a masterpiece of historical fiction.

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Review:

The author of the steamy Dave Robicheaux detective stories has turned his hand to a historical novel. White Doves at Morning tells the story of James Lee Burke's ancestor--a Confederate soldier in the American civil war. The novel illuminates the panoramic events by following the lives of a handful of people involved. The hero Willie Burke is a cheeky but brave solider who interacts with a courageous Yankee abolitionist, an intelligent and persecuted slave girl and a rogues' gallery of colourful and corrupt confederate soldiers.

Burke writes with an economical, passionate and vivid style. The violent desperation of the battlefield is described with gripping realism while the violent and sweaty atmosphere of the Confederate USA is evoked brilliantly. Burke's plot is somewhat episodic, and he assumes that his readers have more knowledge about the history and culture of America than many actually do. For the non-American reader especially, some maps, a glossary and an outline of key events would have helped enormously. Therefore this book is best read by those who already have some background knowledge about the Civil War. These cross cultural problems aside, Burke still captivates with the power of his observation and the sympathy of his storytelling. For those who like their history in realistic, but fictional form White Doves of Morning mustn't be missed. --Dwight Longenecker

Review:

We have secured a feature interview with James Lee Burke in THE OBSERVER magazine which will appear on Sunday 16 March. We have sent journalist Euan Ferguson to meet James in Louisiana; Euan is a big fan already and has read most of James's backlist. James has been interviewed from the US for BBC RADIO 3 NIGHTWAVES on Wednesday 12 March. The broadcast date is still to be confirmed,but it be around publication. And also for BBC RADIO 4 FRONT ROW, to be broadcast to coincide with publication. We are expecting lots of the usual excellent review coverage for White Doves at Morning, and the following are confirmed already:THE GUARDIAN, THE MIRROR, THE DAILY MAIL and UNCUT magazine 'In White Doves at Morning, Burke demonstrates again his bravura skill at memorablecharacterisation, acute dialogue and wonderfully evocative descriptions.' OBSERVER 30/3/03 'a compelling riposte to Margaret Mitchell's nostalgic myth-making' THE SUNDAY TIMES 6/4/03 'White Doves at Morning is an uncompromising examination of the "moral insanity" of war and slavery. It's a rare venture into historical fiction for Burke, a celebrated crime writer, but his established readership won't be disappointed...it reveals a greater complexity of characterisation and overal subtlety than his previous work. ... Burke places an uncomfortable spotlight on white American history, but the profundity of the issues never interferes with the drama and excitement of the story.' DAILY TELEGRAPH 22/3/03 'Best known as a crime writer, James Lee Burke spreads his wings to fine effect in this stirring tale of the American Civil War. ... White Doves at Morning makes a worthy addition to the canon. It captures the roller-coaster excitements of fast-changing times. SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 13/4/03 'This is a departure for Burke, who is best known for his contemporary detective novels, and anyone who has read those will already know he writes like an angel.His prose id deceptively fluent and, his pacing unbeatable and the subject of White Doves at Morning is close to his heart.' DAILY MAIL 28/3/03 'This is both a moving account of the horrors of war and a subtle yet powerful examination of the strengths and weaknesses of human nature. Written with a wit and wisdom reminiscent of Mark Twain, it is nothing short of a masterpiece.' WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY 'When writing about the physical world of the Deep South, Burke has feel equals. ... In White Doves at Morning, he brings this gift to bear on the experience of battle in the Civil War. These are among the best things Burke has ever written, and they deserve to be read alongside TheRde Badge of Courage.' TLS 18/4/03 'As well as a fascinating examination of the ethical chasm at the heart of battle, White Doves at Morning is also a beautifully written. Clearly a novel the author wanted to write it's not just areturn to form - it's terrific.' UNCUT magazine May 03 'A wonderfully colourful novel that yet again creates a vivid atmosphere that is almost tangible' CRIME TIME 'James Lee Burke is a gifted writer whose words echo in your mind hours after you read them... This is another winner from Burke, who manages to educate as well as entertain with plenty of factual snippets from a very turbulent period in US history.' syndicated local press review 'The characters are colourful and well-written. Burke keeps the reader's attention by focusing on plot and character development yet keeping the story just on the edges of the great battles and events of the time. This is a simple yet finely crafted story about the cost of war and slavery soaked in the atmosphere of the period.' GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'White Doves at Morning is yet another remarkable and recommended work.' DUBLIN EVENING HERALD James is being interviewed for the GL

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