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Ann Beltran
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Faith on the Mall: A Tale of the National Mall (Tales of the National Mall) Kindle Edition

by Ann Beltran (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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Before the Civil War, the lives of three siblings raised at the Lockhouse on the National Mall take dramatic turns as they rebound from the death of a baby in the canal. The oldest, Betsy, and mother of the drowned child, must accept God’s punishment for her life as a whore in Washington’s most prestigious bawdy house. Frank, non-religious, seizes the opportunity to move upriver and learn his Uncle’s businesses on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Lilly, the youngest, is scarred for life, renounces God, and begins an education that will bring her to her life work.
As the characters transform, so does the National Mall. From 1848, when the Washington Monument is dedicated, to Emancipation Day, 1863, the Lockhouse and stench of the City Canal persist, while the Capitol grows wings and a new dome, the first botanical garden appears, and the Smithsonian “castle” opens. Only for the Mall to become home to thousands of soldiers – and then their hospital.
While the siblings struggle with whom or what they believe in, the country’s leaders do the same as a spectrum of views on slavery and its abolition create the third change in our political party system bringing us the newly formed Republican Party. Scenes of political times up to and including the Civil War read like current events.
This family saga of emerging feminist, businessman, and naturalist holds attention with its cast of characters from Senators to freemen, slaves, and contrabands, from bargemen to inventors, and from the explorers of the Megatherium Club to the child soldiers of the Civil War.


Faith on the Mall has received five stars and the "Highly Recommended" award of excellence from The Historical Fiction Company

"It takes a skilled writer to transform history into art by placing humanity's flesh and blood onto a factual skeleton ... Ann Beltran gives mid-19th century America this treatment in Faith on the Mall, a novel about three siblings living on the National Mall ... This is an excellent novel whose biggest strengths are its prose and its character analysis. It will be of in interest to anyone who enjoys early American history with a sentimental touch."

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  1. Part of series
    Tales of the National Mall
  2. Print length
    447 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    August 22, 2022
  6. File size
    2414 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ann's career in government, business, and the nonprofit sectors, as a lawyer, executive, and professor, provides a broad array of human experience upon which she draws to create character-driven, engaging stories. Visit her website at to learn more about all her books and sign up for her National Mall Blog. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BBPFWX9N
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 22, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2414 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 447 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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Ann Beltran

Ann Beltran

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It was late in life I took up writing novels. I’d finished my career - so what to do with all those experiences as a lawyer, executive, professor? With all those people I met in business, government, and nonprofits? Well, it seems they’re all in me, and now they’re finding their way out in bits and pieces in my characters.

This was especially true of the Nonprofit Girl Trilogy. Now that I've moved to historical fiction with Tales of the National Mall, what I'm finding is that the constraints of history are more forceful in shaping my characters at first. Which makes it more challenging - and makes me meet and come to terms with people I’ve never known. And it’s also more fun, because I have to learn a whole lot more to write about them and give them choices.

Wherever you start with my books, I hope you enjoy them. You can always contact me with questions by writing ann@annbeltran.com. Easier yet, sign up for my newsletter on annbeltran.com where I’ll share tidbits, and extras about the novels and their characters.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Lynn
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read!
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a perfect summer read… or a winter one with cups of hot tea! The fascinating history is beautifully integrated into a family of characters one cares about, suffers with, and learns from. It is chock full of real historical characters and events, but while they had huge roles in our history, here they are important bit characters in the lives of three siblings, adolescents growing into mature adults, tackling life’s challenges in the fifteen years before and into the first half of the Civil War. And all literally at the heart of the action – the center of Washington City. That may sound contrived, but it is not. It is a captivating and convincingly told tale.
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Adele
5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I have lived in different locations all around the Washington beltway for over fifty years, but haven’t paid much attention to the history behind the U.S. Capitol area. Ann, your “Faith on the Mall” has inspired me to address this omission. The insight you have provided has put a spotlight on so many different aspects of this important historical city, which I could never have imagined, but that I shall enjoying learning more about!
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Lisa B. Schliff
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction worth reading
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
Ann Beltran does an exceptional job of blending history, fictional characters and true historical figures in a plot-filled novel. The brother and two sisters of the Moore family captivated and endeared me to them as I followed each of their separate lives, sometimes leading away from one another, then returning to intertwine. Not only did I learn a heck of a lot of American history in the pre-Civil War era, I enjoyed every page of it. Passion, love, betrayal and tragedy illuminate this story. At the same time, we read about the struggle to free the Black slaves, the laws, speeches, and courageous actions taken leading up to the inevitability of Civil War. This is an outstanding book. Don't pass it up.
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Cheryl J Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars Faith on the Mall
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
This was such an engaging novel and I learned so much about the history of the period. The past divisions in our nation parallel the current divisions but in this book we are reminded of the people who labored for justice and freedom and we are inspired to continue the struggle. As the three central characters seek to find their own identities, the nation is doing the same. I was fascinated by the historical background of the Smithsonian Museum and the roles of a variety of individuals such as Clara Barton, Walt Whitman and Charles Sumner.
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Jan Bartlett
5.0 out of 5 stars The Connection Between Faith and Guilt
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2022
What is faith? Are religion and church required for faith? How do our beginnings shape our future? Do we control our destiny? How can we be a good person if we are carrying guilt and anger? Is war ever justified?

Three siblings, Lilly (the youngest), her older sister Elizabeth, and their brother Frank grew up in the in a tiny rough-hewn cottage, the lockhouse, where the stench of the canal and the harsh words of the bargemen were their life. Each of them faces tragedy and hardship early on, and then the Civil War challenges them to examine their lives and values in ways they never expected.

By allowing the three to tell their own stories, we get their unique views of how their lives interweave. We hear their hopes and fears, and we see their struggles and tears. And, through it all, we learn of the details of life, inventions, and events that made the mid-nineteenth century one of the most interesting and dramatic of times, especially in Washington, D.C.

Beltran’s careful research enhances, but never overpowers, the story as each character relates and examines their own life. Although Faith on the Mall explores some of life's biggest questions, it reads as if the characters were each writing letters to someone whom they trusted completely.
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david tate
5.0 out of 5 stars Great storytelling, drama and account of historical events
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2022
Faith on the Mall is a compelling account of the Washington D.C. area during the mid- 1800s, as told
through the thoughts and perspectives of three main characters, who grew up as a part of a canal
lockkeepers family. The main characters have compelling stories in their own right and are connected in
ways that help to illuminate some of the major events of the time. It works very well as a historical
novel, as well as the life journey of the characters. The book particularly shines when it brings the
reader face to face with the chaotic and precarious circumstances of Washington D.C. during the early
part of the Civil War. It creates a more palpable sense of the individual traumas than just reading a pure
historical account. The characters often contemplate not only the issues of the times, but also the life
decisions they make. This aspect of the writing adds additional layers of philosophical thought to the
reading experience. One of the best novels I’ve read in a while.
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Lynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Polarization before the Civil War echoes our present day
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2022
"Faith on the Mall" by Ann Beltran, a novel, is set in the era leading up to and including the first years of the Civil War. The author has woven a stunning tapestry about the National Mall, 1848-1863. Dramatic changes affect the infrastructure, politics, legislation and social mores. Amidst this upheaval the author’s fictional characters introduce us to famous and ordinary citizens trying to make sense of issues that are tearing the country apart - not unlike the divisiveness we are experiencing today. Engaging and thoughtful!
Lynn F.
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Catherine Bradshaw
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful historical novel with compelling characters and gripping story
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2022
I was drawn into the complex characters of Betsy, Lilly, and Frank struggling to make their way and navigate life in the Washington D.C. area amidst the political and social upheaval of the mid-1800s. This is perhaps Beltran's best novel so far - the details of that time and place are meticulously researched and artfully described. I truly felt like I entered that world each time I escaped into the story.
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