‘When Johnny Came Marching Home’ is about three young men, one who dies during the war, one who is crippled in the war and one who is a psychopath. It takes place after the war as one of them investigates a murder. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks revealing the young men as the boys they were before the war and the men they became during the war. The author’s ability to move seamlessly from one time period to another without losing the reader is quite remarkable. The book is nicely paced, extremely well written. It’s been more years than I care to count since I've found a novel this engrossing. ( )

A fascinating peek into the life of a civil war soldier (although admittedly some will find it disturbing), both during the fighting and in trying to adjust back to civilian life--as the central character tries to solve the murder of a man who was once his boyhood friend. The book is obviously well-researched (with an author's note concerning bending of a few historical facts). Engaging reading. The dialect is perhaps a bit overdone--while the flavor is nice, it shouldn't be enough to trip or even slow the reader. Some will not be entirely pleased with the resolution, but it is realistic. The characters are complex, which is to say they act like real people, with conflicting emotions and loyalties. We see a group of boys enter the bloody conflict that changes them all, changes which pursue them as they try to put the war behind them. A good read. ( )

I am loving this book! Mr. Heffernan grabs the reader right from the start by introducing three lively characters from a small town in Vermont who grew up together and end up serving together in the Union army in the Civil War.

This is not just another Civil War story. Mr. Heffernan skillfully weaves together three stories--one about the boys' youth, one about their military service, and one about life (and death) after the war. It sounds like it might be confusing, but it's not. He tells the story so well, you remember the details and get caught up in the characters' lives. ( )

I found this to be an extremely well written story about the Civil War. The author drew us into the minds of the characters as well as relaying lots of real facts about different battles of the Civil War. An interesting aspect of the story was the traveling between the three time periods, pre war, during the war, and the main character adjusting to the after war period. I'm quite sure that anyone interested in the Civil War would enjoy this book. There was really something for everyone, war scenes, human nature, mystery and even a bit of a love story. ( )

Readers, this is a fine novel. If you enjoyed 1997's COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier you will like Heffnan's effort here. The story is engaging and I really enjoyed the way he made us move, in time and in location, simply with his sub headings within each chapter. This book is well worth the time spent reading it. ( )