The Civil War may be an old, familiar explored subject to the literary world, but leave it to E.L. Doctorow to pen a riveting and deeply-moving tale in The March, specifically, General William Tecumseh Sherman and his Union soldiers marching through Georgia and the Carolina’s slashing and burning anything in their path while freeing black slaves. Doctorow does more than simply to retell a dry, historical account, he give dimension and soul to his characters, from the moody and complex General Sherman himself to Pearl, a despised plantation owner’s daughter who passes as a drummer boy. The characters are electrifying realistic and colorful, weaved together in a heartbreaking tale about a war so personal and tragic, it’s a wonder how the nation could recover from such a costly and painful event.

Publisher’s website: Random House.