APOCALYPSES

A bloody American Civil War battle drives a handful of characters into unexpected situations in Gram’s historical novel.

It’s December 1862, and Rev. Nathaniel of Fredericksburg, Virginia, predicts that the Apocalypse will occur after a battle that’s about to commence. The ensuing clash, which will henceforth be known as the Battle of Fredericksburg, leaves many dead, and people in the city find different purposes elsewhere in the days and months that follow. Enslaved John, for example, heads north to freedom while lamenting the fact that he’s never known his sister, Tillie, who remains enslaved; the siblings were separated long ago. After Nathaniel’s apparently incorrect prediction, the reverend tracks down a young woman at a brothel with the apparent intent of removing her from there; he’s guided by a mysterious, blond-haired young girl who shows him visions. The cast of characters also includes a talisman-carrying religious zealot who believes that Armageddon is at hand, and someone who’s out for lethal revenge. Fate ultimately brings together these storylines, which travel through such places as Richmond and New York City before a series of not-necessarily-happy reunions. Gram enriches the tale with real-life historical figures and details. High-ranking Civil War soldiers, for starters, play significant roles (one person is convinced that Confederate officer Stonewall Jackson “will be revealed as Christ come again”), and famed steamboat Mary Powell makes a notable appearance. A largely unhurried pace makes it easy to follow the nonlinear narrative, which bounces around December 1862 and subsequent months in 1863. There’s likewise a giant leap backward to the second century near the city of Pepouza in Asia Minor, where 14-year-old Montanus learns that some have foreseen the Messiah returning one day. Throughout, Gram delivers several affecting scenes that confront the horrific treatment of enslaved people, and the ferocious Battle of Fredericksburg and its terrible deaths. The novel boasts a gratifying resolution, although a second volume is planned.

An engrossing and measured novel of wartime.