Civil War Heroines Books in Order
Part ofMary Ellis Books in OrderSee all the Civil War Heroines books by Mary Ellis in order, with plot summaries, series background, historical context, and guidance on the best place to begin reading.
Last updated: January 16, 2026
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Publication Order
3 books
The Quaker and the Rebel
by Mary Ellis
2014
Quaker abolitionist Emily Harrison leaves her foreclosed Ohio farm to work as a governess in Confederate Virginia, hoping to continue aiding fugitive slaves. There she clashes and then falls in love with Alexander Hunt, a secret partisan leader, as war and divided loyalties close in.
The Lady and the Officer
by Mary Ellis
2014
After serving briefly as a nurse at Gettysburg, Madeline Howard saves the life of Confederate colonel Elliot Haywood but secretly favors the Union and loves a Northern officer. In Richmond’s high society, she overhears battle plans that could save him and must decide where her true allegiance lies.
Romance on the River
by Mary Ellis
2014
On her family’s Ohio farm in 1861, Emily Harrison juggles milking cows, tending crops, and hiding fugitives on the Underground Railroad while preparing a special dinner for the man she hopes will propose. News of war and a shattering announcement upend her carefully laid plans.
Series background & context
The Civil War Heroines series follows courageous young women whose lives are upended by the conflict between North and South. Each story stands on its own but together they trace how ordinary people grapple with faith, loyalty, and love in a country at war.
The sequence begins with Emily Harrison, a Quaker abolitionist raised in Ohio who continues her parents’ work on the Underground Railroad. When her family farm is lost and she takes a governess position in Virginia, she finds herself living among slaveholders while secretly helping fugitives escape. Her growing bond with Alexander Hunt, a wealthy Virginian hiding his own double life as the Gray Wraith, forces both of them to decide what they are willing to risk for justice and for one another.(bookreporter.com)
A short prequel shows Emily at home in the summer of 1861, juggling farm chores, clandestine rescue work, and the hope of a proposal from the man she loves. It offers a quieter, more domestic glimpse of her life just before the war reaches full force, highlighting the small, everyday choices that prepare her for the larger tests ahead.
The focus then shifts to Madeline Howard, a woman living in the South whose sympathies lean strongly toward the Union. After serving briefly as a nurse at Gettysburg and saving the life of Confederate colonel Elliot Haywood, she returns to her influential relatives in Richmond. There she is drawn into high society circles where military officers and officials talk too freely, giving her access to information that could change the course of a coming battle.(books.apple.com)
Madeline’s heart is caught between two loyalties. She cares for a Northern officer who shares her convictions, yet she also feels genuine gratitude toward the colonel whose life she saved. When she overhears plans for a Confederate offensive, she must decide whether to protect her family and friends or pass that knowledge on and possibly save Union soldiers, including the man she loves.
Throughout the series, Ellis pays attention to the textures of everyday life: crowded train depots, field hospitals, plantation parlors, and makeshift safe houses used by the Underground Railroad. The romances develop alongside questions of conscience rather than overshadowing them. Readers see how faith motivates both quiet acts of mercy and bold acts of resistance.
Taken together, the Civil War Heroines books offer a blend of historical detail, espionage, and slow-burn romance. They are ideal for readers who enjoy stories about strong women facing divided loyalties, and who want to experience the war from front porches and farm kitchens as much as from the battlefield.
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