My favorite book is "...And Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer.
It starts just after the end of the Civil War and is set in a small town in Ohio.
And the "Club" of the title is...a book club!
Many of the ladies are...Republican!
Quite a bit of political observation and discussion is in this book along with battles of the Civil War (especially later in the book when a character takes to telling children his war stories in detail).
I've read the book 3 or 4 times and never fail to have a good cry at a couple points, too. The characters are so well drawn you become immersed in their interaction and drama. Highly recommended.
Thx for the recommendation. I've never read that one, I'll have to try it sometime. That one should keep me busy for a while, if I remember correctly it's very long.