August 22, 1863, was a day in hell for Jessica Radford as it was for all of the survivors in Lawrence, Kansas. It was the day after William Quantrill and his marauders burned down the town and killed around 200 unarmed men and boys. Jessica has great convictions about her anti-slavery beliefs and isn't about to surrender them because of these killers. Instead, she leaves Lawrence and travels with friends to the nation's capitol to make a difference.

Jessica, along with Otto and Penelope Heller, go to Washington, D.C., where Jessica is introduced to Walt Whitman and is more determined than ever to write her novel. She's still so headstrong and independent that she struggles with her feelings for Matt Lightfoot, the Methodist preacher who wishes to marry her. While he's off fighting for the Union, Matt runs into Mary Delaney, who's working as a nurse and still has very strong feelings for him. Will Matt stay true to Jessica, or will he finally discover and pursue another love interest?

Roger and Sara Toby are caught up in the war as Roger fights for the Confederacy, leaving Sara to struggle on her own. As a stage actress, Sara draws on her talents and delivers the best performance of her life in order to live. Will their marriage survive her actions, and will Roger make it home from the war?

ALL PARTS TOGETHER by Tom Mach is the second installment in the Jessica Radford trilogy. This book is filled with historically accurate details and many wonderful characters from the first book, SISSY. I anxiously await the conclusion to this series.