In Agony Until the End of the World
A Novel of the American Civil War
- Fiction
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2025
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Publisher's Description
Suffering has always been a defining aspect of human life and death. For Americans, the epitome of our collective suffering as a nation remains the Civil War, in which predominantly devout, religious people prayed to the same God for victory as they proceeded to slaughter each other in massive numbers. Yet, for every soldier killed on the battlefield, two would die from disease at a time when the nature of infection and the principles of antisepsis were just beginning to be appreciated. As a surgeon and palliative care physician, the author has offered a story here about suffering and death in the Civil War seen primarily through the eyes of the medical profession, charitable organizations, and noncombatant volunteers who ministered with the limited tools available to relieve the massive suffering of the combatants and refugees. While several characters are fictional, many of the individuals highlighted in the novel were real persons whose remarkable stories may be unfamiliar to readers of more traditional accounts about the Civil War. While this novel does stand alone, a prior novel, Neither Bond nor Free, gives an account of several fictional characters' lives in the antebellum period prior to their appearance in this story.
Endorsements (2)
“Dr. Hinshaw has humanized the reality of war. When we find ourselves seemingly divided and polarized as a nation, this work brings the reality of human life, death, and compassion. In his empathic portrayal, he unveils the understanding of an Incarnate God, reminding us that ideological, economic, and political divisions do not bring healing, but only reconciliation and forgiveness expressed by Christ: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they have done.’”
“When a surgeon with strong historical interests writes a novel about disease, medical practice, and philanthropic organizations during the American Civil War, it is bound to be informative. When the novel is also a good story, the result is captivating as well. Readers will find In Agony Until the End of the World a strong story that, as it develops, also conveys a world of historical insight.”
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