It’s Friday, and you know what that means – it’s time for another First Line Friday linkup with Hoarding Books! Today I’m sharing the first line of Roseanna M. White’s newest historical novel, Dreams of Savannah, that just released this week.

Savannah, Georgia

May 1861

“Cordelia Owens had dreamed of this day a hundred times. This moment. This story just waiting to happen.”

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White

The Basics

Title: Dreams of Savannah

Author: Roseanna M. White

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Cordelia Owens can weave a hopeful dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him. Matters of black and white don’t seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite her best efforts, Delia’s smiles can’t erase all the complications in his life. And when Fort Pulaski falls and the future wavers, they both must decide where the dreams of a new America will take them, and if they will go together.

My Thoughts

Dreams of Savannah is a captivating story set in Savannah during the Civil War. Delia is a delightful character – a charming heroine and gifted storyteller. She is a little naive at the beginning of the story, but is forced to confront some painful truths when a shameful family secret comes to light. Phin, her sweetheart, is a member of the Confederate Navy and finds himself questioning his long-held beliefs when he is forced to rely on an unlikely hero. He and Delia are both transformed during the course the book and make some difficult decisions about the kind of people they want to be.

This story has it all – from rich historical detail, to a compelling hero and heroine, to a devious villain, to the powerful themes of faith and redemption. I found myself drawn in from the beginning and hard a hard time putting it down. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.