Seen the Glory
by Hough Jr., John
Simon & Schuster
2009
Hardcover

In this superb novel, John Hough brilliantly renders life in the Union Army during the Civil War as he tells the story of two young brothers coming of age who volunteer to serve their country.

Luke and Thomas Chandler grew up on Martha's Vineyard, raised by their abolitionist father and Rose, their headstrong and beautiful Cape Verdean housekeeper.  When a recruiter comes to the island, the boys, who have already witnessed their father and Rose helping a runaway slave to freedom and who are determined to join the fight against slavery, eagerly enlist in the storied Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. 

The brothers quickly discover that their abolitionist views make them unpopular with many of their fellow soldiers.  On the eve of battle, in Gettysburg, Luke shares a secret with his younger brother that causes a rift between them, a separation that they will take onto the field.