Synopses & Reviews
A brother and sister separated by war—a nation fighting for survival. By April 1863 the Civil War has been raging for two years. On their sleepy farm in Gettysburg, sixteen-year-old twins Susanne and Stephen are alarmed by news that Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee are threatening to invade the North for a strike at Washington, D.C.! Rebel forces in the Union capital? Is it possible? Frustrated with farm life and itching for action, Stephen runs away to join the beleaguered Army of the Potomac to fight Johnny Reb. Susanne is left behind to care for her embittered great uncle and superstitious great aunt. Separated by war, death, and disease, the twins maintain correspondence. But little do they know that Union and Confederate forces are converging on a small town for a battle that may determine the outcome of the war—a town called Gettysburg.
Review
"It is an eye-opener to read about free blacks (as they were called then) fighting on both sides of the Revolutionary War, and as a librarian I welcome this." - Kliatt on 1776: Son of Liberty
About the Author
Elizabeth Massie is author of numerous novels for young adult, middle grade, and primary readers. These include the Young Founders series, the Daughters of Liberty trilogy,
The Great Chicago Fire: 1871,
The Fight for Right,
Read All About It, and more. A former middle school teacher, Elizabeth enjoys exploring both important and little-known moments in American history and presenting those moments to readers through the struggles and triumphs of her characters.
Elizabeth lives in the historic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, very close to where her family moved in 1747. She says, "Every place is historic. Well-known or not, every town, city, and county has its own compelling tale of people and events, a story that plays a part in the continuing story that is our history."