White Doves at Morning

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Ed Sala

A riveting evocation of the Civil War, drawn from the true family history of "America's best novelist" (The Denver Post), JAMES LEE BURKE

1861. Two young Southerners, friends despite their differing political views and backgrounds, enlist in the 18th Louisiana regiment of the Confederate Army: Robert Perry, wealthy and privileged, and irreverent Willie Burke, the son of Irish immigrants, face the trials of battle and find redemption in the love of a passionate and committed abolitionist, Abigail Downing, and in the courageous struggle of Flower Jamison, a beautiful slave. Filled with a cast of unforgettable characters, and penetrating a landscape of shattering Civil War bloodshed as few novels have, this epic from an American literary giant endows readers with the gift of experiencing the past through new eyes, while its timeless prose style—at once luminous and brutal—ensures the legacy of this bloodiest of conflicts will never be lost.

A superb novel. It’s no wonder that J L Burke is renowned master storyteller .

Historical novel from the Civil War as told from the perspective of southern society, high and low. The struggles of the dispossessed and the wealthy. Conflicted allegiances of tragic and heroic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances. Their stories woven together and presented as though it was just yesterday, and that we are living in the recent aftermath of that war.

James Lee Burke at his best

Would you consider the audio edition of White Doves at Morning to be better than the print version?

Even though my favorite narrator didn't narrate this book, I was able to get into this narrator as well. Burke's language flows so beautifully and the descriptions are beautiful mind pictures. The subject matter is harsh but truthful and depicts such a sad part of our history - a must read for any Burke fan!

What did you like best about this story?

Staying true to history

What about Ed Sala’s performance did you like?

he is easy to listen to - articulates beautifully and keeps the momentum

Who was the most memorable character of White Doves at Morning and why?

Willie - he is a Burke

Burke’s Best

This is James Lee Burke‘s best literary fiction novel. I would put it on the shelf beside Gone with the Wind any day. In my opinion White Doves at Morning is better, for the lack of soap opera, romance and drama, although there is certainly great drama, great history, and the epic stage of the American Civil War.

Burke Puts You There

This is not a book for the squeeamish. Descriptions of war (Civil) and immediate aftermath were graphic. The lives of enslaved people was probably as fairly represented as I can imagine. So was the callous diaregard for fellow human beings that, unfortunately, seems to be proudly reasserting itself among the same tyoes of people today. How bad can it get? Burke shows us.

An honest portrait

This is a book written for lovers of civil war history and the harmony orchestrated by James Lee Burke in every novel he writes.