"Across Five Aprils" is a novel that portrays the conflicts created by the Civil War, from the point of view of a boy name Jethro Creighton. Jethro and his family live in southern Illinois, on the border on the Union and the Confederation. As friends, family members, and his teacher take sides in the war, go in separate directions, and, for some, die, Jethro tries to figure out where he stands on the issues, and where his loyalties lie. This book uses Jethro to help us see the issues underlying the Civil War.
In this book Irene Hunt took some stories from her great-grandfather and tied them into a fictional story. This adds a new dimension because it is fictional characters with factual stories, setting, and events. It is an up close view of the emotions, decisions and conflicts that were produced by the Civil War.
I think that overall this book is alright.
Map of the division of the states during the Civil...
English: A Roman Catholic chaplain ministering to ...
Civil war reenactment at Kennekuk County Park, nea...I am not completely interested in historical fiction either. It is not the most exciting book for young people but since it is all about young people that kind of holds your interest. It portrays what kids my age were facing during the Civil War. Irene Hunt seemed to use a lot of compassion in this story, partly because it is some stories about her family. Sometimes she uses some intense language that keeps you wanting to read more. So overall I would recommend this book to anyone that is really interested in the Civil War and historical fiction books in particular.
English: Union Regimental Drum Corps from the Amer...
English: Gen. Charles Griffin (1825 - 1867) (as Ca...
English: General William Tecumseh Sherman, a gener...