Set in Virginia just before the surrender at Richmond, this book portrays the war-weary South through the eyes of a young boy who has lost both parents and home to the war and is searching for his soldier brother. 

Even though I agree with the book’s “message” that war is ugly and destructive, etc., as a reader, the heavy-handed way it is delivered put me off.  Reading this after Gilbert and Sullivan Set Me Free and Prairie Whispers, I really appreciated the less-is-more approach, even in the historical fiction genre.

Publisher Marketing

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• US SRP: $ 15.00 US  -  (avail. at 25% off from CCF)
• Binding: Hardcover 
• Pub Date: May 2003
• Ages: 5th Grade to 9th Grade
  
  Publisher Marketing: On a cold, snowy night, Haswell Magruder makes a decision that will have a profound effect on his own life as well as the lives of all those he loves. A wounded Confederate soldier appears at the family"s Virginia farm, and Haswell convinces his mother and sister to take the man in, despite the certain repercussions if the enemy Yankees were to catch them in such a "traitorous" act. Unfortunately, this is precisely what happens, setting off a horrific chain of events that leaves Haswell"s mother dead and the farmhouse burned to the ground. After leading his younger sister to safety with relatives, Haswell sets out on his journey in search of his older brother, a Confederate soldier. His quest is also a passage into manhood, as he experiences the last bloody days of the Civil War. Skillful storytelling, well-developed characters, and a fast-paced plot distinguish this compelling family story by an award-winning author.