Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Pocket; 1 edition (November 10, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1416597352
ISBN-13: 978-1416597353

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In this stunning holiday story, a cache of Civil War-era letters and diaries sweeps the ladies of Covington up into a dramatic and heartwarming historical saga that inspires them to plan an unforgettable Christmas for two families forever changed by war.

When a rusty old tin box is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah discover that it contains letters and diaries written by two Civil War soldiers, one Union and one Confederate.

The friends are captivated by the drama revealed. The soldiers were found dying on a nearby battlefield by an old woman. She nursed them back to health, hiding them from bounty hunters seeking deserters. At the end of the war the men chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail. But while their lives were rich, they still felt homesick and guilty for never contacting the families they’d left behind.

Christmas is coming, and the letters inspire Amelia with a generous impulse. What if she and her friends were to find the two soldiers’ descendants and invite them to Covington to meet? What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate? With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men’s families in Connecticut and the Carolinas, and to make preparations in Covington for their most memorable, most historic Christmas yet.

The Covington ladies.. Hannah Parrish Maxwell, Grace Singleton and Amelia Declose take on the loving task of locating two soldiers decedents over 100 years after both Tom and John served during the Civil War. Tom was a Confederate and John was a Union soldier. Both were wounded and left for dead on a battlefield in North Carolina.

The ladies discovered the extraordinary lives of Tom and John when they opened a box that Hannah’s husband, Max, had found at an excavation site. This box had seen it’s better days, and was very battered. It held journals and letters written by both these soldiers. These letters contained names and relevant information of relatives in 1864, but were clearly never intended to be mailed home. What intrigued the Covington ladies is the fact that it had been locked and buried for all these years.

The ladies ultimate goal was to bring the families of these soldiers together in Covington for an exciting and wonderful Christmas they would never forget.

You will enjoy this heartwarming read and the loyalty they bring.

About the Author.. Click on Joan’s Photo to learn more…

Joan Medlicott was born and raised on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She lives with her husband in the mountains of North Carolina.

A Special Thanks goes out to Sarah over at for the opportunity to experience this Inspiring read!

Logo/Images Courtesy of Simonandschuster.com, joanmedlicott.com