Synopses & Reviews
The Civil War in MissouriIn 1863, at fifteen, Matt Howard is old enough to join the Southern guerrillas and help protect Missouri from Union forces. But Matt would rather farm than fight - tending his beloved pa's land is the next best thing to having him still alive. Whats more, to safeguard her six children, Matts mother insists that the family take a neutral position. In Missouri's Civil War, which pits neighbor against neighbor, armed men often bang on doors in the middle of the night, shouting "Union or Secesh?" The wrong answer can get a civilian killed.
Matts mother is from the North, and when Ma decides to move them back, Matt is torn: Should he abandon his farm or his family? And what about his friend Jesse, who has no doubts about joining the guerrillas? What will Jesse say if Matt runs away? In this large, gripping examination of the Civil War in Missouri, a boy bewildered by the madness around him wrestles with questions about family ties, friendship, and loyalty. Guerrilla Season is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Review
"Hughes's strong Civil War novel depicts the plight of families caught between warring neighbors...a compelling story about courage and sacrifice...History buffs will appreciate Hughes's accurate detailing of the events and moods of a tumultuous time." --
Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Matt Howard is old enough to join the Southern guerrillas and help protect Missouri from Union forces. But Matt would rather farm than fight. What’s more, Matt’s mother insists that the family take a neutral position. In Missouri’s Civil War, armed men often bang on doors in the middle of the night, shouting “Union or Secesh?” The wrong answer can get a civilian killed.
“Hughes’s strong Civil War novel depicts the plight of families caught between warring neighbors . . . A compelling story about courage and sacrifice . . . History buffs will appreciate Hughes’s accurate detailing of the events and moods of a tumultuous time.” – Publishers Weekly
“Delivering lifelike characters and a stimulating plot, this novel is a good exploration of the turmoil surrounding war-torn Missouri.” – School Library Journal
About the Author
PAT HUGHES is also the author of
Seeing the Elephant: A Story of the Civil War and
The Breaker Boys, both NCSS-CBC Notable Childrens Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies. She lives in Narberth, Pennsylvania.