Nell Joslin – Measure of Devotion

An intense, addictive drama with a hint of light at the end of the tunnel.

— Kirkus Reviews

Although it was not uncommon for mothers to tend to their wounded sons near battlefields during the Civil War, Joslin is the first novelist to have written about this conflict-rich situation….an original and important novel that belongs on the shelf beside the work of Charles Frazier, George Saunders, and Roxana Robinson.

— Angela Davis-Gardner, author of Plum Wine and Butterfly’s Child

My memories of the day that changed everything have settled around things I did not notice at the time.

"Your son, Mrs. Shelburne, is a traitor. A capital offense. He is an enemy of the United States.”

In the mid-afternoon, I saw the first Confederate straggler from the west, running out of the brambles into the clearing.

The massive locomotive seemed to claw at the platform beneath the wide pleats of its iron skirt.

He dropped one of my hands but kept the other in both of his.

About Measure of Devotion

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents’ wishes by enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord. In October 1863, devastating news arrives: Francis has been critically wounded near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Susannah embarks on a perilous journey to bring her son home, finding Francis delirious with fever and haunted by the horrors of battle. Their reunion is overshadowed by the conflicts at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, culminating in Francis being captured as a prisoner of war.

As the war exacts its toll and tensions escalate between mother and son, Susannah confronts impossible choices amidst harrowing revelations from home. This gripping narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound impacts of war on family bonds, painting a vivid portrait of one woman’s relentless fight for survival and reconciliation in a time of unprecedented turmoil.

Published by Regal House Publishing | Distributed by Independent Publishers Group

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About the Author

Nell Joslin is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and practiced law there for the better part of twenty years. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from North Carolina State University in 2006. She takes inspiration and comfort in gardens, birds and anything nature-related. The mother of three grown daughters and five grandchildren, she currently lives in Raleigh.

About Measure of Devotion

Available for Pre-Order at

And at other bookstores and online sources

About the Author

Short Fiction and Memoir by Nell Joslin

The Wild Swans

The Lesson

The Snowy Owl