PORTLAND, Ore – Is war ever moral or just? Ralph Beebe addresses this and other compelling social questions in his new book, Cousins at War.
“I’ve read over 1,000 letters from Union and Confederate soldiers in order to properly portray life in the Civil War era,” says Beebe. “I want to provide an authentic and scholarly depiction of the American Civil War as well as offer a narrative on familial bonds and the morality of war.”
Cousins at War is the fictional tale of two cousins, Aaron and Joel Haskins, living in Maryland during the Civil War. They are best friends who share a birthday and just about everything else. As Maryland begins to prepare for the Civil War, they both must decide if they will fight. The cousins end up making different choices that forever alter their lives.
Aaron decides to join the rebel army while Joel stays home with his new bride. The war slowly brings the cousins further apart as they focus on their own goals. Joel resists war for 18 months until a battle occurs near his home, and he confronts and kills a rebel solider attempting to rape his wife.
Joel discovers that he is capable of killing if the provocation is great enough. Even though his family owns two adult slaves, he feels morally in tune with the Union cause and decides to take up arms. With the two cousins now pitted directly against each other, it is up to them to decide if their love or hate will prevail.
Weaving emotional decisions throughout the narrative, the book provides a poignant social commentary about the ramifications of our decisions, our roles in society and our responsibilities to one another. Beebe uses a tragic storyline to question the morality of war and educate readers by presenting an authentic view of the Civil War from both Union and Confederate perspectives.
“Aaron and Joel’s choices separate then, but their love for each other is a bond that can never be destroyed.
Ralph Beebe has authored six previous books, including but not limited to, The Worker and Social Change: The Pullman Strike of 1894 and The Embargo. He currently lives in Newberg, Oregon with Wanda, his wife of 60 years,” says Beebe.
