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One Family’s Generational Trauma
Witness to Tribulation follows a young woman who learns that Gettysburg’s past is still very much alive after she discovers an old Civil War diary when she inherits her grandmother’s family home. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Gettysburg was the inspiration for this story. As a frequent visitor to the town, I’ve always been beguiled by the history. Having a young woman move there and into an inherited house seemed to be a perfect setup for sharing the history of Gettysburg whilst telling another story about one family’s generational trauma. The protagonist left behind a painful past in the hope of finding a more promising future. The place that had been the turning point in the American Civil War becomes a turning point in this young woman’s life as well.
How much historical research went into writing the Civil War portions of the novel?
I’ve read non-fiction books and essays about the battle in addition to period newspaper articles. However, visiting the sites and hearing the information from the National Park Service as well as seasoned historians in Gettysburg provided what I needed to proceed writing with historical accuracy.
How did you develop Emily as a protagonist, and what aspects of her did you find most relatable?
I wanted Emily to experience Gettysburg in a way I had so many years ago. Like me, she knew about the town because of her studies. However, she had the advantage of hearing personal stories about it from her grandmother. Unlike me, she had a difficult, painful relationship with her own mother. In her case that family dysfunction can be traced back to the battle in 1863. In a way, I can relate to how the lingering effects of experiencing war affected my own family.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I have several ideas for my next novel. One of them is another Civil War story that follows one of the characters from this novel into a new adventure. I’ve written an outline and started to do some research, but it’s not quite at the point where I can share that information.
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Within the stone walls of her ancestral home, Emily discovers an old Civil War diary that pulls her into a world where history refuses to stay buried. Gettysburg’s hallowed ground, steeped in blood and sacrifice, becomes more than just her new address-it becomes a spiritual crossroads. Here, the veil between the living and the dead is thin, and Emily begins to encounter voices and visions that guide her on a journey of forgiveness, acceptance, and love.
As friendships form, mysteries unravel, and old wounds resurface, Emily learns that the scars of war and family tribulation run deep-but so does the strength to heal. In witnessing the tragedies and triumphs of those who came before, she discovers the courage to confront her own past and embrace the future.
Rich with history, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural, Witness to Tribulation is a moving tale of generational bonds, resilience, and the eternal presence of family.
Witness to Tribulation
Liz Finnegan’s Witness to Tribulation is a reflective historical novel about inheritance, grief, and the strange pull of Gettysburg. The story follows Emily Tomaso, a young woman who leaves a tense home life behind after inheriting her grandmother’s family house in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. What begins as a fresh start becomes something deeper when Emily finds an old Civil War diary and starts sensing that the past in this town is still very much alive.
The book blends family drama, romance, history, and ghost story in a way that feels personal rather than flashy. Emily’s connection with Peter Sanders gives the story warmth, but the heart of the novel is really her growing relationship with the people who came before her. The Civil War material is woven into the plot through Gettysburg itself, through the diary, and through the emotional residue left behind by ordinary people who had to survive extraordinary suffering.
Finnegan’s strongest idea is that history doesn’t stay sealed away in textbooks. It moves through families, houses, memories, and even silence. That idea comes through beautifully in the repeated use of candles, bells, old rooms, and remembered voices. One line captures the spirit of the town especially well: “If you were to put a candle in every window in this town, it still wouldn’t be enough to acknowledge all of the suffering.” That sense of reverence gives the novel much of its emotional weight.
Emily’s journey also works because it’s grounded in everyday hurt. Her strained relationship with her mother, Mandy, gives the story an intimate tension that balances the larger Civil War history. As Emily uncovers the pain carried by her ancestors, she also begins to understand her own family with more tenderness.
Witness to Tribulation is a heartfelt novel about memory, forgiveness, and the ways a place can shape the people who live there. Finnegan writes Gettysburg as more than a historic site; it becomes a living space where sorrow, faith, love, and reconciliation meet. Readers who enjoy family-centered historical fiction with a spiritual atmosphere will find this book thoughtful, sincere, and easy to settle into.
Pages: 324 | ISBN : 978-1637777749
