The Hornet's Nest:
A Novel of the
Revolutionary War
by Jimmy Carter (Simon &
Schuster, 2003)
(This column first appeared in the Augusts
12, 2004 issue of ArtVoice of Buffalo.)
When I told a friend that I was
reading The Hornet's Nest, he responded, "I'm not into books by
ex-presidents." I am afraid that his attitude will prevent him from reading
an excellent historical novel. Believe it or not, this is Jimmy Carter's
eighteenth book. Most of his earlier writing has been autobiographical; this,
however, is touted to be the first novel by a former president. (Given their
self-serving proclivities, it is not, of course, the first fictional account by
a past-president.) The Hornet's
Nest
is about the difficult times from 1763 to 1785 in this nation's South, mostly
in Georgia and South Carolina, and it fits perfectly into the genre of books by
Kenneth Roberts. A few fictional characters are followed through those years as
they interact with the real people who fought on the colonial (Whig) and
British (Tory) sides as well as those who sought to remain neutral. As in all
good historical fiction, this model gives the reader a sense of personal
participation that is absent from standard historical accounts. As in Roberts'
stories, there is a great deal of descriptive detail. Neither author could
resist throwing in information about such things as farming practices and folk
medicines. I liked this; others may be put off, but they should judge it
against the Roberts model. My high regard for Jimmy Carter was further enhanced
by my reading of this outstanding book.-- Gerry
Rising