“Awaken the Warrior” Brings Local Civil War History to Life
Written by Heidi Baumstark | Photos by Shannon Ayres
War changes everything. It’s not just a moment in history, but a permanent fracture in the lives of those who witness it.
For one Middleburg resident, Dr. Kathleen Fraser, her decades of work as an acupuncturist have resulted in a deeper understanding of how war affects people, particularly active-duty and retired members of the military suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. As the owner of Middleburg Acupuncture and Apothecary, she continues to treat patients who have experienced war and guide them on a path for healing.
“Over my 30-plus years of practice as an acupuncturist and herbalist, my work is rooted in partnership with the journeys of my patients,” Fraser says. “Having specialized in the treatment of PTSD, as well as Complex PTSD (CPTSD), I understand how trauma and recovery shape a person’s decisions, health, and their life direction.”
“I’ve lived in Middleburg for years, and my work as an acupuncturist and an equestrian informed the grit and resilience I wanted to capture in these characters.” –Fraser
That experience motivated her to write a historical novel series titled “Blood of a Thousand Souls,” which explores the hidden histories of the Virginia Piedmont during the Civil War and the souls whose lives were forever changed. Her writing is technically categorized as “heavily immersive historical fiction,” which means her work is historically accurate, but with fictional characters.
“When I came up with the concept, the story kept coming to me and grew out of research; basically, the books started writing themselves,” she says. “I’ve lived in Middleburg for years, and my work as an acupuncturist and an equestrian informed the grit and resilience I wanted to capture in these characters.”
Her first book is titled “Awaken the Warrior” and is scheduled for publication on May 7, 2027. The date holds particular meaning, as the book’s storyline unfolds on May 7, 1862, a time during the Civil War when the country was beginning to realize the war would go on for longer than expected. Between Jefferson Davis’ inauguration as president of the Confederacy in February and President Abraham Lincoln’s Compensated Emancipation Act in April of 1862, military orders and rivaling government policies unleashed a mass exodus, driving the populace into a dire scramble for survival.
Peek Into the Plot
In “Awaken the Warrior,” a 16-year-old elite polo player named Jordan Kane from modern-day Middleburg is thrown back in time to 1862 and finds herself in the heat of battle. As she struggles through war-torn Virginia and a desire to return to the “portal” she passed through, her life becomes intertwined with the affluent Southern gentry and a Monacan tribal teenage warrior, who is passing as a white man so he can search for his young Black friend kidnapped by rebel forces. Desperate to find a way back home, Kane embarks on a dangerous path, forcing her to evolve from a polo athlete into a soldier.
This unlikely trio learns to protect themselves and take a stand for what is right in the midst of a landscape of fluctuating loyalties. Fraser adds, “As they navigate their new reality, they become the ‘shadowed warriors,’ the unsung heroes who risked everything for the liberty of others.”
Readers of the story will recognize local landmarks mentioned; a few include Ashby’s Gap Turnpike, Crenshaw Road, Snickersville Turnpike, and Goose Creek Bridge, which was built circa 1810 and is no longer in use, but once carried troops across its waters.
The Town of Middleburg is also prominently featured, including The Red Fox Inn & Tavern, originally built in 1728, as well as many buildings and structures that still stand today throughout Hunt Country.
Fraser chose Virginia’s Hunt Country as the backdrop for her writing because with its quaint villages, horse-related activities, stone walls, and natural, open beauty, it’s an adventure in itself. “I hope readers will experience the past not as a distant memory, but as a living, breathing presence that we can engage with and find new insights from,” Fraser says. Moving beyond dates and troop movements, she wanted to make the characters’ struggles and triumphs more relatable, meaningful, and deeply human. “This human element, the visceral, unfiltered reality of people facing impossible choices on the very lands we walk today, is the heartbeat of the ‘Blood of a Thousand Souls’ series,” she shares.
Childhood Memories
Fraser grew up hearing stories about war, as both of her parents have direct military experience. As part of her father’s service, “he was in the Hungarian Revolution receiving refugees,” she says. This was when the U.S. provided humanitarian aid and processed over 30,000 Hungarian refugees through Operation Safe Haven in 1956. She continues, “My mother is from Scotland and was born right before World War II; the first 15 to 16 years of her life were spent in a war situation.”
Fraser’s roots in the Piedmont run deep. Her father’s family has lived in Virginia since the early 1700s. In fact, Edwards Shop Road in Lignum, Virginia, is named after her paternal great-grandfather’s blacksmith shop, which he operated in the 1800s. It was the location of her great-grandparents’ farm. Her family went to church at Lignum Baptist Church, which is still there but now called Lael Baptist Church. Her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are buried there.
The stories she heard around the family table about the Civil War were vastly different from what she learned in school, sparking a lifelong quest to uncover an inclusive, fact-based narrative. “There would be conversations in my family about how people survived. It was an extremely scary time — scary for the men and women. Most of the men died, and women were in real fear of being attacked and were without their men. War is generational.”
Experts Chime In
For an expert opinion, Fraser asked John Hennessy, an author and retired National Park Service historian, to read her manuscript. Before reviewing “Awaken the Warrior,” Hennessy admits that he was hesitant, since sometimes historical fiction “plays fancy with history itself. But I admire Kathleen’s commitment to getting the history right. She has visited most of the sites she writes about and understands these landscapes, be they in Loudoun or in the Shenandoah Valley. In making her characters witnesses to history, she’s done a great job of describing events accurately and portraying the figures in a humane and believable way.”
Hennessy adds, “Her success is a product of pure diligence — something not at the top of every novelist’s list of priorities. I was impressed.”
Fraser also contracted Eugene Scheel, a professional mapmaker and author based in Waterford, to make a map for her. “I’ve also used several of his books for my research,” she adds.
“It inspires me to show that our human stories are etched into the landscape, and may it inspire us to value and protect it.” –Fraser
The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg awarded her the John H. Daniels Fellowship, which is provided to those who are dedicated to in-depth research. “I was at the library so much,” she recalls.
Her editor, Jennifer Rees (copy editor for all five books of the “Hunger Games” series), has the manuscript now, and a 30-day Kickstarter campaign is scheduled for this September, which will include special offers and research insights.
Lessons Learned
“Awaken the Warrior” invites readers to experience the historical landscape with real events and historical figures. “Learning about these diverse lives intersecting on the very roads we drive today has deeply changed my perspective,” Fraser shares. “It inspires me to show that our human stories are etched into the landscape, and may it inspire us to value and protect it.”
Thousands of people, including troops, enslaved people, deserters, civilians, and families, traveled throughout Virginia while the world watched with anticipation as to whether the United States of America would remain a united democracy.
Fraser concludes, “If you want to find the courage to live with your heart and integrity intact, learn from those who’ve done so. The Civil War reveals incredible stories of strength and courage expressed by people who had to dig deep within themselves and persevere for the sake of something greater in the future.” ML
To learn more about the Kickstarter campaign this September, visit Fraser’s website, kathleenfraserauthor.com.
Published in the June 2026 issue of Middleburg Life.