Bruce Hatton's Reviews > Flags on the Bayou

The American Civil War is a topic which is frequently referenced in James Lee Burke’s contemporary novels and, in this one, he takes us right back to that horrific conflict.
In the autumn of 1863, the Union Army has taken most of Louisiana and control of the Mississippi river. The events here are narrated by several of the main protagonists: Hannah Laveau, an escaped slave woman whose sole mission is to locate and save her infant son, Samuel. Wade Lufkin, a former Confederate soldier who now merely wishes for a quiet life painting on his uncle’s farm. Pierre Cauchon, a local constable charged with recapturing Hannah but finds himself questioning the morality of his his quest. Florence Milton, from Boston nobility now an ardent abolitionist. Darla Babineaux, Hannah’s friend with whom she shares a deadly secret and Colonel Carleton Hayes, leader of a mercenary pack called “Redlegs”.
Seeing the thoughts of the main characters gives us an idea of the moral complexities each has to deal with whilst trying to survive a time when it seems as if Hell has taken over Earth. In his poetically elegant prose style, the author never balks at describing the horrors humans can unleash on each other. The narrations end with an intriguing epilogue where it appears most of the protagonists have escaped to a Polynesian island where they encounter the painter Paul Gaugin.
In the Acknowledgements section at the end, the author says he considers Flags On The Bayou to be his best work. Despite it having some pretty fierce competition, I’d find it hard to disagree.