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She’d supposed, instead, that she’d live in Pennsylvania
after the War ended, and go on with her life as though there
was never any war. Her parents had seen things differently,
however: she was hastily married to a wealthy man she barely
knew because it was safer that way. Sam purchased a house in
Chicago, furnished it, and hired staff in anticipation of
having a wife to display; Sadie might have even fallen in
love with him, had he not been killed in a train accident.
She couldn’t mourn; she barely knew Sam, which made the
staff uncomfortable. As they deserted her, Sadie knew she
needed a maid. The voice in her head – an insistent voice
that said he was a soldier once – sent her to Madge.
Born to a woman who was more interested in being a root
doctor than in being a mother, Madge left her Tennessee home
as a teenager – unloved by her Mama but knowing how to use
plants and seeds to heal. She couldn’t say she liked working
for Sadie, but assisting with séances left Madge with plenty
of time to build her apothecary and a little business. It
also gave her guilty time to spend with Hemp Harrison, who
said he was a married man.
Long before the day when raggedy Rebel soldiers came down
the plantation road looking for trouble, Hemp had fallen for
Annie, and they married. Though he’d done something
unthinkable, he loved her so much; after she was sold away
in chains, he vowed to find her and make things right. With
the War over, it was said that “millions” of former slaves
had somehow landed in Chicago but was Annie among them? Was
it right to move on without her?
Set during America’s spiritualist movement of the post-Civil
War years, Balm is a bit of surprise: it’s not
exactly a love story, not exactly a ghost story, not exactly
a novel of amends. It’s closer to all three, and that only
works sometimes.
While it’s true that author Dolen Perkins-Valdez writes with
extraordinary beauty, those flowingly gorgeous words can
slow the story down, which often mars the romantic aspect of
it. I enjoyed the ghosty storyline – I found it interesting
and accurate, but the spirit’s brother annoyed me beyond all
reason and left me feeling restless.
This isn’t a terrible book, no. It’s slow, but it has three
great main characters going for it and the overall
authenticity will make historical novel fans happy. But if
you’re looking for something snappier and with more
finality, Balm just won’t do it for you. |
