Sheltering Arms

"Sheltering Arms" by Joette Baldwin is the author’s debut novella and it is a spell-binding read from its opening lines (“1963 Deep in the bosom of southern Virginia there lies a moldering headstone. It rests in the shade of a purple Magnolia and bears the name Renée Chastain Harris.”) to its surprise, heartwarming conclusion. This poignant story of a Civil War wife and mother who faces heartbreak with bravery is told in lyrical, dreamily beautiful prose that mesmerizes the reader and draws them into the heart of Renée Chastain Harris’s Prince Edward County, Virginia world. By the end of the story, we feel as if we know the characters as old friends and family members; indeed, the narrative is based loosely on the author’s own Old Dominion ancestry. The May 1863 drama at Chancellorsville plays out nearly one hundred miles distant from Renée's small farming community. But in ways unforeseen, that faraway thunder changes forever the lives of Renée, her husband Coleman and son Beau. Journey with Joette Baldwin into a long-ago land of passion, heartache, beauty, and love eternal and be forever changed by the experience!

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