Georgia, 1864: Sherman's army marches inexorably from Atlanta to the sea. In its path:the charming old city of Savannah, where the Lester ladies-attractive widowed Sara and her feisty twelve-year-old daughter Hattie-struggle to save the family rice plantation. When Sherman offers the conquered city to President Lincoln as "a Christmas gift," Hattie and the feared general find themselves on a collision course that will astonish both of them.

In this rousing new tale, "the godfather of the historical novel" (Los Angeles Times) tells a story of battlefield danger, wartime romance, and indomitable courage. The rich cast of characters includes a corrupt judge who positively exudes Dickensian wickedness; a fast-talking, piano-playing reporter from New York; a pair of thwarted young lovers; a raffish Indiana cavalryman; a valiant former slave who practices birdcalls with surprising results; and a whole carpet-bagful of rascals, rebels, and real soldiers who marched with Sherman.

Together they bring to life an almost forgotten moment in the Civil War-a season of simmering hostilities, rising hopes, and empty stockings-perhaps the most strife-torn yet heartwarming Christmas in all of American history.