Review: Across the River (Furnass – The Civil War Years) by Richard Snodgrass

In Across the River, author Richard Snodgrass creates a vivid and intensely personal story couched within the chaos, madness and sacrifice of the Civil War. The two main characters are involved in a clever plan to turn the tide of the war for the South, but there are countless obstacles that stand in their way, including one another.

Walker and Reid are an unlikely pair who don’t seem to like one another all that much, but they’re both driven by loyalty and sincere belief in their cause…at first. They have been tasked to cross into enemy territory and acquire two steam-powered road engines, also known as “war machines,” and deliver them to the Southern troops. Equipped with advanced weaponry and plate protection, these machines could change the course of history.

While the premise of the plot may seem simple, the details are anything but, with Walker and Reid’s personalities and proclivities getting them into hot water numerous times with the townsfolk. Trying to keep a low profile is also difficult when Walker decides to pursue the wife of the man, Colin Lyle, whose engines they need so desperately.

The key moments of the story have little to do with the arrival of Morgan or the ultimate success or failure of the mission. Instead, the beauty of this story emerges from the in-between moments: the small conversations and sidelong glances, and the tension that imbues each page and the sharp dialogue of true conversation. Snodgrass shows himself to be a master storyteller and creates scenes so tangibly you can almost smell the leather of the saddles. This isn’t an action-heavy plot, but it doesn’t need to be. The suspense that builds up about these characters’ true identity, and intentions, builds steadily from the very first pages and rarely lets up, pushing boundaries of loyalty, love, country, and humanity.

The colloquial style of the narration is consistent and immediately immersive, and the prose works as a perfect time machine for readers looking to get lost in a historical setting. A great deal of research clearly went into developing this story, and there are few plot holes where the history seems overly fictionalized. There is an excellent balance of exposition and plot progression, so while not much happens over the course of each chapter, readers are constantly learning and sinking deeper into the context of the tale. The characters are so thoroughly developed that it becomes impossible not to root for them – both the bad guys and the good ones.

The only real stumbles come from the technical side of the writing. From missed quotation marks and sloppily edited sentences to syntax issues and awkward phrasing, a final sweep of the text could help to perfect the flow of writing. There are so few weak moments in the story itself that even small technical errors tend to stand out. As a whole, however, Across the River is an in-depth and keenly constructed peek at a small moment of the past – a critical and impactful series of events that could have changed everything, but didn’t.