Three Brothers From Virginia

In a time when slavery is legal and rampant in the United States, Matt and his two enslaved brothers are forced to make crucial decisions about their survival and freedom. Paul, who is tired of the inhumane treatment he receives as a slave, flees to New York against his brothers’ wishes. Matt, the free brother, joins the Confederate Army and hopes to see the day his brothers will live as free men. Luke hopes he experiences true freedom but does not escape like his brother. Follow the stirring story of the three brothers as they find themselves and fight for freedom while dealing with war, secrets, business, forbidden love, separation, politics, loss, discord, marriage, religion, atheism, and more.

Three Brothers from Virginia is a historical fiction novel built around real characters and events. Andy Lazris takes readers back to a time when things were much harder and a little mistake could lead to a lynching. I was on edge throughout the course of the book as the suspense was intense. Although I knew slavery was once accepted as a normal practice in the United States, I was shocked by the depiction of how brutal life was back then. Imagine being shot and flogged because you want to live freely and pursue an ambition. Being smart is seen an abomination for slaves, so they had to change the way they talked. In short, Andy Lazris’ book offers readers a realistic and vivid depiction of the United States’ history with slavery.

Prepare to be immersed in different engaging scenes, like the war scenes—with the smoke, fog, and bullets—that make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the battle. Following Paul’s story as he ran “with his rifle up toward the chaos” and the bullets “soared by his head” was definitely exhilarating.

There seemed to be too many things packed into each page, and it was exhausting to be introduced to another idea or development before I got familiar with the previous ones. On the positive side, the book packs in numerous historical facts and events and information about things such as business strategies and growing grapes, which makes it quite educational. I learned much about Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign and the chaos that surrounded it.

Three Brothers from Virginia shows us how much humanity has grown and the dark place we’ve come from, reminding us not to repeat history and to fight for every person’s freedom, no matter how different they appear. This historical book is informative and rife with interesting conundrums, suspense, and unpredictable events. It would appeal to readers who love elaborate plots with a lot going on.