"In this fine micro-history of Putnam County, Indiana, Etcheson traces the impact of the Civil War on the community, focusing in particular on local politics and attitudes about race and gender roles. . . . To see this book as merely an answer to the question of how the Civil War changed the North is to miss the breadth of this micro-history. Etcheson does an admirable job of detailing how events in the broader politics of the nation intertwined with the lives of Putnam residents, and she makes clear, in nuanced readings of their letters, that the beliefs of those residents were broadly shared with others in the North. . . . Even within the structure defined by her broad themes, Etcheson provides a comprehensive exploration of a number of secondary themes, some only lightly connected to those broader themes, that in the end come together to live up to the title’s promise of capturing most of the rhythms of life in a rural county in the Civil War era, irrespective of whether they were affected by the Civil War itself."—American Historical Review
"A riveting, rewarding, and meticulously researched study of one county over the course of the three decades between the 1850s and 1870s. . . . The result is, by any standard, a triumph. [This book] is an example of historical research at its finest."—Journal of American History
"Etcheson’s employment of micro-history to elaborate the social history of the North during the Civil War represents a standard to which authors of other community histories should aspire."—Kansas History
“With keen insight, Etcheson provides a thoughtful, rewarding, and essential contribution to the study of how the Civil War and Reconstruction changed the North. . . . A remarkable achievement, comprehensively researched and wonderfully readable.”—Orville Vernon Burton, author The Age of Lincoln
Etcheson’s deep analysis of a Northern home-front community brings to life ordinary and extraordinary people as they responded to America’s greatest crisis.”—James H. Madison, author of A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in American History
“This is remarkably engaging on a personal level, and, historically, a tour de force.”—Douglas L. Wilson, author of Lincoln’s Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words