Reviewed By Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

I have always known that there is a state named Virginia, and a state named West Virginia. But in all my reading of American history, even Civil War history, I had never found out when this happened or even why it happened. Now I know. Storm Coming by Jack W. Lewis and Carol S. Lewis is a novel of the Civil War in western Virginia. I never realized how much of that story took place before Fort Sumter. Some of my favorite general officers from that war are featured here, including Stonewall Jackson. The history is told from the angle of big events and smaller, more personal happenings. I think this is what makes Storm Coming such a great book.

The looming Civil War is always on everyone’s mind in this well written novel, but authors Jack and Carol Lewis are also good at telling the story of everyday life too. Wars come and go, but boys fall in love with girls and want to marry them, whether there is a war coming or not. Alexander Swaney is no exception. I like this character. I believe he is typical of the honest young men of his time. All the characters are done well in Storm Coming, and the plot is taken right out of a real situation in history. Perhaps this is why Storm Coming is such a great read. It is based on true events and real people. That adds a certain power to the story. If you are a Civil War buff, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.