A first-rate choice for fans of intelligent historical romances.'-- Library Journal , starred review Amid the mayhem of the Civil War, Iris Dunleavy is put on trial by her husband, convicted of madness, and sent to Sanibel Asylum to be restored to a compliant Virginia plantation wife. But her husband is the true criminal; she is no lunatic, only guilty of disagreeing on notions of cruelty and property. On this remote Florida island, Iris meets a wonderful collection of inmates in various states of sanity, including Ambrose Weller, a Confederate soldier haunted by war, whose dark eyes beckon to her. Can love in such a place be real? Can they escape, and will the war have left any way-- any place-- for them to make a life together? 'An absorbing story that explores both the rewards and perils of love, pride, and sanity.'-- Publishers Weekly 'With Blue Asylum , Hepinstall presents the reader with the rare and delicious quandary of whether to race through and find out what happens to her characters or to linger over her vivid, beautifully crafted sentences. For me, the only resolution was to read it twice.' -- Hillary Jordan, author of Mudbound and When She Woke 'A gripping story of love and madness in the midst of the Civil War-- I couldn' t put it down!'-- Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House