Stars in Their Courses

by Gilbert Morris Book 8 in the Appomattox Saga series.

First published 1995

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3.9(182)

Frank Rocklin becomes involved in dangerous intelligence work as Union forces close around Vicksburg. Secret messages and divided identities complicate his relationships while civilians endure siege, bombardment and shortage.

The novel places romance and espionage within the campaign for control of the Mississippi. Historical intelligence networks provide context, but the Rocklins’ operations and private meetings are fictional constructions shaped by the series’ Christian concern with truth and loyalty.

Vicksburg is strategically decisive because Union control of the city would open the Mississippi and divide the Confederacy. Intelligence work therefore has consequences beyond the Rocklin family’s private loyalties: messages about troop strength, river movement and defences can affect an entire campaign. The novel uses the siege to place espionage beside the hunger and bombardment experienced by civilians trapped inside the city.