- brings to life the American Civil War with its focus on one family and their difficulties and changes brought on by war
- convo: mentions deaths of children, gentle and appropriate mentions of two young people loving each other (they eventually marry), discussions on slavery, a boy remembers being scared about a witch story (no description), readers learn in retrospect that a man tried to kill a boy, a family is mentioned to have been murdered for being suspected of being sympathetic to the enemy, another family is threatened and harassed, tens of thousands of war deaths are mentioned, some known characters are injured, some drinking throughout
- language: x1 stupid, x1 dang, x1 hell, some mild name calling
Type: historical fiction chapter book
Ages: 12+
Author: Irene Hunt
The tension grips readers right from the start. All the unknowns about a potential war have our main family on alert. To their disappointment, war is indeed declared, and it clearly is not going to be a quick one.
The author does a superb job at helping readers understand how and why this war was so complicated. Thoughts from both sides are shared as our characters wrestle with the topic of slavery, loyalty, and more.
“I don’t know if anybody ever ‘wins’ a war, Jeth. I think that the beginnin’s of this war has been fanned by hate till it’s a blaze now; and a blaze kin destroy him that makes it and him that the fire was set to hurt…”
The family unit as a whole earned my high respect. They are good examples of how relatives can support each other, even with differing opinions. They have friendly teasing and their moments of disagreement, but they work hard together. This teaches the youngest boy (the book’s main character) the importance of hardships for good goals. He grows into a very respectful young man by the end of the story. His family ultimately does not allow the war to tear them apart and they remain patriotic and faithful to their country.
It’s not often I say “the audiobook is better,” but it might be in this case. It’s not the fastest moving plot once the war begins (though that perfectly syncs up with all the waiting rural people had to do for news), and their dialect is unique. It’s typed in such a way as to help the reader sound like he or she has a drawl and iffy grammar at times. For that reason, I recommend either a parent reading it aloud or seeing if your library has the audio! I personally have done both and really appreciated listening this latest time.
“You’re not to fret, Matt; we mustn’t give trouble a shape before it throws its shadder.”
This book could be understood by most 12-year-olds to a certain extent, but it’s one of those stories that hits differently as we age. History buffs will love it as the fictional lives are interwoven with many historical names.
If your children are old enough, I recommend trying it out!