The Thin Gray Line by Michael Kenneth Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The American Civil War was an era of heroes and villains, of great love stories and great horrors. In this, historically accurate book the author Michael Smith, gives us the story of Luke Pettigrew. A war hero from the Battle of Shiloh, Luke feels like anything but that. His horse shot out from underneath him and his leg amputated, he is recovering in a kind man’s home when he begins his journey with recovery, addiction, resentment for his situation, longing to be whole and his struggles to grow as a person in a turbulent world.
A coming of age tale like no other, this books hero has to deal with some very harrowing situations. Back in that day, losing a leg meant much more than it does in this day of prosthetics. Luke is undeterred in his determination in fashioning himself a new leg. I think that this doggedness in the face of adversity was really powerful to read about. I enjoyed this book a lot.

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