Victor’s Blessing, by Barbara Sontheimer

In the fragile balance of life, you have one birth, one death, one time to tell those you love a final farewell. But what if, somehow, you were given one more chance?

Victor Gant’s life is abundant with blessings. Although his mother was an Osage Indian slave, he is a valuable member of the French and German community of charming of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. As the town blacksmith he is respected, well-liked, and makes a proper living for himself and beloved sister. All Victor’s dreams come true when he marries the only woman that had ever caught his eye.

But blessings can be fleeting. When the civil war erupts in 1861 Victor will have to make choices. Torn between what’s best for his family or following his conscience, between keeping promises or following his heart… to finally bestowing an agonizing blessing of his own.

Barbara Sontheimer’s sweeping novel Victor’s Blessing is a journey from the patent office of Washington DC, to the infamous Andersonville prison, to the Battle of Wilderness, where in order for Victor to keep one promise…. another must be broken.