Robert Hicks - A Separate Country in Stores September 2009

Keynote Speeches

“The Widow of The South” Keynote

This keynote is based on the New York Times bestselling book and Robert makes the characters and our country come alive in this difficult period in our nation’s history…In 1894 Carrie McGavock is an old woman who has only her former slave to keep her company…and the almost 1,500 soldiers buried in her backyard. Years before, rather than let someone plow over the field where these young men had been buried, Carrie dug them up and reburied them in her own personal cemetery. Now, as she walks the rows of the dead, an old soldier appears. It is the man she met on the day of the battle that changed everything. The man who came to her house as a wounded soldier and left with her heart. He asks if the cemetery has room for one more. In an extraordinary debut novel, based on a remarkable true story, Robert Hicks draws an unforgettable, panoramic portrait of a woman who, through love and loss, found a cause. Known throughout the country as "the Widow of the South," Carrie McGavock gave her heart first to a stranger, then to a tract of hallowed ground-and became a symbol of a nation's soul. The novel flashes back thirty years to the afternoon of the Battle of Franklin, five of the bloodiest hours of the Civil War. There were 9,200 casualties that fateful day. Carrie's home -- the Carnton plantation -- was taken over by the Confederate army and turned into a hospital; four generals lay dead on her back porch; the pile of amputated limbs rose as tall as the smoke house. And when a wounded soldier named Zachariah Cashwell arrived and awakened feelings she had thought long dead, Carrie found herself inexplicably drawn to him despite the boundaries of class and decorum. The story that ensues between Carrie and Cashwell is just as unforgettable as the battle from which it is drawn.

“A Separate Country” Keynote

Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A SEPARATE COUNTRY is a novel based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army - and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins. But fate had other plans. Crippled by his war wounds and defeat, ravaged by financial misfortune, Hood had one last foe to battle: Yellow Fever.

A SEPARATE COUNTRY is the heartrending story of a decent and good man who struggled with his inability to admit his failures - and the story of those who taught him to love, and to be loved, and transformed him.

Other Programs

Super Session – “The Widow of The South” In this “insiders” presentation, Robert weaves the inspiring story as told in the New York Times Bestseller “The Widow of the South” with beautiful video and native music of the Carnton Historic Plantation. This multimedia program will take you on a journey into a unique and meaningful period of our country’s history. As in his keynote, you will walk away feeling like you know Carrie McGavock, Mariah and the soldiers brought to the make-shift Civil War hospital at Carnton Historic Plantation. The program is typically 60 to 90 minutes in length and includes a Question and Answer segment.

On-Location in Franklin, TN Robert and the Carnton Historic Plantation are available for small (50 capacity) indoor meetings or larger tent-style events filled with history, music and a ton of southern hospitality you will not find anywhere else. Perfect for entertainment night, special private dinners or spouse outings. You will not want to miss standing on the front porch of the plantation as Carrie McGavock and so many Civil War soldiers did over 100 years ago. Robert makes Carnton Historic Plantation come alive thru his amazing stories of the people, property and music as well as his knowledge of the preservation efforts. It’s a relaxing setting that will be informative and entertaining experience.

Author Events Robert is available to host an informal and fun discussion on his books, the plantation, The Battle of Franklin and the people who have lived at Carnton Historic Plantation and their impact on our history. This discussion is what we like to call “the back porch talk” is filled with handed-down stories, town gossip and just plain old hearsay on the McGavock family, plantation, the Battle of Franklin, the Confederate cemetery.

Availability and Fees Please contact Violet Cieri at 615-497-1008 or violet@robert-hicks.com for availability fees and additional information.