This book has been on my self as long as I can remember. My Dad told me I couldn't read it until I was older. I decided, at 45, I was old enough. But I see why he wanted me to wait. It isn't pretty. It's a novel about the Confederate p.o.w. camp for Union soldiers in Georgia. It tells the story of prisoners, guards and neighboring families, but the real main character was the prison itself. Built to hold 10,000 men, it often held 30,000 — with no shelter, no medical attention, no sanitation and inadequate food, water and clothing. At least 13,000 men died in 15 months. Although many (not all) of the characters are fictional, the basic story is accurate. Kantor uses a rambling writing style without quotation marks that is occasionally difficult to follow, but the book kept my interest throughout. But again, it isn't pleasant — it's history.