A Single Spark–a Review by Patsy Ledbetter
A Single Spark by Judith Miller and published by Bethany House Publishers (2020) will entertain you, keep you in suspense, and teach you some valuable spiritual lessons.
The story takes place in Washington D.C. during the time of the Civil War. Most of the action takes place at the Washington Arsenal, the city’s main site for the production and storing of munitions.
The main character, Clara McBride, works in the cartridge room of the arsenal. She lives with her mother at a boarding house close by. Her father was killed during the Battle of Bull Run. Her brother, Ezekiel, is in the army. They have not heard from him in months.
As the story begins, Lieutenant Joseph Brady, who has returned from fighting in the war, becomes the new supervisor in the cartridge room where Clara works. His foot was injured at the Battle of Bull Run. Although he can walk, at times he feels pain and sometimes it causes him to limp. He supervises the ladies who fill the cartridges with gun powder.
Joseph and Clara both follow the Lord, trusting Him and attending church. There is room for growth in their lives and through the story, they learn to depend on Him more. Joseph and Clara soon become interested in each other.
Joseph finds out that he will be sent to the Allegheny Arsenal near Pittsburg in Lawrenceville. There is a higher production there, and Colonel Furman wants him to see if there are any techniques that will help production at the Washington Arsenal. Joseph is also very much concerned about safety issues since there is gunpowder everywhere in the arsenal. Before he leaves for this assignment, he asks Clara if she would mind if they corresponded via letter writing. She joyfully agrees.
One of the true facts in this story is that there really was an explosion at the Allegheny Arsenal in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The lives of seventy-eight civilians were lost in that explosion. It was the greatest civilian disaster of the war.
Clara soon makes a couple of new friends, Bea Hodson and her brother, Jeremiah. Although Clara is happy to have met someone to talk to, it seems like Bea is always arguing with her brother and is often in need of Clara’s help.
At first, Clara is happy and thinks well of Bea, but as time goes on, she is more distressed by Bea’s rejection of anything Clara has to say about God. Bea is also always asking Clara for favors and to help her transfer to another department at the arsenal.
When Bea does get transferred to another department, she soon meets Sergeant Andrew Kessler and flirts with him. He becomes interested in her. It turns out his trust in her is misplaced.
What Clara and Andrew don’t know is that Bea and her brother are secretly working for the ” Gray Ghost” and they hope to somehow sabotage the arsenal.
John S. Mosby, known as the “Gray Ghost,” is an actual historical figure. He was a Confederate Army cavalry battalion commander who led Mosby’s Rangers in many successful raids and acts of sabotage. However, he was never involved in sabotage against any of the Union arsenals.
There is much suspense in A Single Spark –many twists and turns in the plot. I’m not going to give away the ending. I found this book to be very compelling and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. I recommend this story for readers eighteen and above.
Patsy Ledbetter has written poetry, short stories, devotionals, and book reviews for many years. She has also been a drama instructor, special needs teacher and substitute teacher. She and Kevin have been married for 41 years. They recently lost their oldest son Craig, age 33. They now have three children, Vanessa, Bethany and David. They also have four grandchildren, Elyse, Aurora, Hayden, and Molly. Kevin has been a music pastor most of his life and together they serve the Lord in a local church. Patsy loves to read, pray, and spend time outdoors and with family and friends. Her main desire is to bring glory to God through all the talents He has given her.
