Flags on the Bayou
By James Lee Burke
- Release Date: 2023-07-11
- Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Description
From New York Times-bestselling author James Lee Burke comes a novel set in Civil War-era Louisiana as the South transforms and a brilliant cast of characters – enslaved and free women, plantation gentry, and battle-weary Confederate and Union soldiers – are caught in the maelstrom
In the fall of 1863, the Union army is in control of the Mississippi river. Much of Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is occupied. The Confederate army is retreating toward Texas, and being replaced by Red Legs, irregulars commanded by a maniacal figure, and enslaved men and women are beginning to glimpse freedom.
When Hannah Laveau, an enslaved woman working on the Lufkin plantation, is accused of murder, she goes on the run with Florence Milton, an abolitionist schoolteacher, dodging the local constable and the slavecatchers that prowl the bayous. Wade Lufkin, haunted by what he observed—and did—as a surgeon on the battlefield, has returned to his uncle’s plantation to convalesce, where he becomes enraptured by Hannah. Flags on the Bayou is an engaging, action-packed narrative that includes a duel that ends in disaster, a brutal encounter with the local Union commander, repeated skirmishes with Confederate irregulars led by a diseased and probably deranged colonel, and a powerful story of love blossoming between an unlikely pair. As the story unfolds, it illuminates a past that reflects our present in sharp relief.
James Lee Burke, whose “evocative prose remains a thing of reliably fierce wonder” (Entertainment Weekly), expertly renders the rich Louisiana landscape, from the sunsets on the Mississippi River to the dingy saloons of New Orleans to the tree-lined shores of the bayou and the cottonmouth snakes that dwell in its depths. Powerful and deeply moving, Flags on the Bayou is a story of tragic acts of war, class divisions upended, and love enduring through it all.
Reviews
Loved this story
5By Razzman67Was hard to put down Flags on the Bayou. What a wild ride it was. Enjoyed it. Can’t wait until his next book.His Very Best
5By AtomicCougIf you’ve read JLB you know. The man is a national treasure and I’m honored to have read his work.Flags on the Bayou
5By sixstringguitarmanrickStunning writing. I agree with James Lee Burke: This is his BEST work. I believe he is the finest writer/novelist alive on the planet today. I try to share this with friends and strangers alike. Thank you, JLB, for blessing us with your irreplaceable gift. There is none better. Please keep writing,reflecting, and creating. Godspeed.Flags on the Bayou
5By TeenzerJames Lee Burke! - What else can one say.Wow!
5By FuturenflhofAs someone who does not necessarily care for reading, I could not put this book down! Would definitely recommend.Flags on the Bayou
5By DixiemsJames Lee Burke has always reached me. When I finish one of his books I am always satisfied and calmly content no matter the content. Flags on the Bayou however has left me in awe.A masterpiece.