Rodman the Keeper: Southern Sketches

"Rodman the Keeper: Southern Sketches" by Constance Fenimore Woolson is a series of stories that show what life was like in the South after the Civil War. John Rodman, who takes care of a national cemetery, is the main focus. The collection of sketches follows Rodman as he deals with being alone and remembers the soldiers who are buried in the cemetery. The characters grapple with ideas such as loss, what they owe it to others, and how beautiful, but complicated the South is. At the center of it all, John contemplates his job looking after the graves of soldiers and the isolation of it all. As Rodman talks to people in the nearby towns, tension builds between the North and South, which is seen in moments of reflection and humanity. Ultimately, John shows that he is committed to honoring the dead and caring for the resting place of fourteen thousand soldiers.