Description:

Roy Hill married the girl of his dreams, dotes on his eleven-year-old son, and is next in line for a big promotion in the Atlanta office of a global corporation. Then, almost imperceptibly at first, everything starts to unravel. He losing control of his life.

When his best friend joins a Civil War reenactment group, spending his weekends in camps where the year is forever 1863, Roy finds the idea laughable . . . even though he is the descendent and namesake of a Confederate Civil War hero. But when he visits the regiment just to be polite, something unexpected happens, gradually opening Roy’s eyes to the secret of a distant conflict that never ended–and leading him down a path that grows more menacing at every turn.

With his job disappearing in a way he could never have foreseen, his whole life slipping out of control, Roy falls deeper and deeper into the Rebel past. A strange and powerful idea takes hold: that his life went wrong long before he was born, in the fateful campaigns that preceded the burning of Atlanta. Among the men, a hard-core splinter group is formed–with Roy at its center. On an ancient battlefield, the once-clear lines between reenactment and reality begin to disappear. When his son is taken hostage is it real? When the old muskets fire will they still fire blanks? Or will a bloody history come stunningly to life?

An extraordinary novel about the fate of men and women no longer in step with the rhythms of the modern world, marching back into Southern history to make things right, Last of the Dixie Heroes is Peter Abrahams’s most dazzlingly original work yet.

From the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

With his diverse settings, quirky characters and intriguing story lines, Abrahams (Crying Wolf; A Perfect Crime; etc.) has set himself up as a master of engrossing, off-the-beaten-track suspense yarns. However, although his latest effort starts out promisingly, it runs out of steam just when it should be revving up to a climax. Though he doesn't realize it at first, Roy Hill's life in Atlanta is coming apart at the seams. His company has been taken over by a megacorporation (resulting in Roy's losing out on a promised promotion), he's divorced (with an 11-year-old son) and his ex-wife's new squeeze "doesn't even bother to get dressed in the morning" (he's a lumpy online trader). But when Roy becomes intrigued by the off-hours activities of one of his business colleagues a Civil War reenactor our hero seems to have found a comfortable niche. At first, Roy finds Gordo's hobby amusing ("harmless fun in funny clothes"), but the peace of 1863 life begins to look better and better and the boundaries between contemporary reality and historical playacting begin to blur with increasingly disturbing repercussions. It's clear from the outset that the Abrahams style is still in high gear the deadpan humor, often expressed as wry one-liners; the trenchant observations on motivation and behavior. But the author gets bogged down in historical details and a myriad of vaguely developed characters, and readers may find that Roy's confusion becomes their own. This is a case where the journey (read: Roy's gradual dissolution) proves more enticing than the ultimate destination. (June)Forecast: This won't be Abrahams's Appomattox, but it sure won't be his greatest triumph, either.

From Library Journal

Roy Singleton Hill's life is falling apart, but he isn't very quick to realize it. Not only has he convinced himself that he is going to get a big promotion, but he is also confident that he can win back his estranged wife and help his 11-year-old son settle down and succeed in school. When his present and future problems finally hit him, he begins to uncover his family's past. He joins a group of Civil War re-enactors and finds himself more comfortable in the simpler and more violent world of his great-great-grandfather, a Confederate hero whose name he carries; reality and fantasy start to blur. Although this work is suspenseful, its climax is rather abrupt, and the actions of some of the minor characters seem contrived and unlikely. If Abrahams (Crying Wolf) had been able to maintain the tone and pacing throughout, this would have been an excellent book. Still, it is a good summer read and is recommended for all public libraries. Patrick Wall, University Cty. P.L., MO
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.