Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Annie, Between the States (original 2006; edition 2006)by L. M. ElliottHistorical fiction, romance, war, history, family, Interest Level: Grade 9, GLE: 4.8, 2006. Annie Sinclair's Virginia home is right in the line of fire between Confederate and Union troops. She works with her family to tend wounded soldiers, and she even acts as a spy for the Confederate Army. However, when she is forced to tend to a Union soldier who begins to question her motives and conscious she begins to wonder why they should be fighting this war. As the war rages on Annie becomes accused of shocking crimes and must decide where her loyalties lie: with her home or with the North. Full review can be found on my blog: decemberjoy.wordpress.com Annie, Between the States is about a young Virginian girl whose world is interrupted and turned upside down by the war raging between the states. All the normality of her life vanishes when fighting soldiers invade her family’s home. Due to the brutality of the injuries, she finds herself aiding the wounded. At first she is appalled at what she sees, but as she tends to the injured she begins to see the human faces of those she opposed before. As the war drags on, and as Annie becomes more involved she begins to question Virginia’s reasoning. This is made more confusing by her older brother, Lawrence, who is fighting valiantly on the Confederate side. And her younger brother, Jamie, not knowing the true face of war, wants to be part of it as a Confederate soldier. Annie finds she is conflicted; she is seeing things differently than before, and while this conflict rages within her, it is through certain events that she finally discovers who she is and what she believes in. I was drawn into the story quickly; the first paragraph being Annie’s first encounter with an injured, bleeding soldier. Reading about her awkwardness to this new experience captured my imagination and as I continued to read, I felt a part of Annie’s world. The storyline was constantly changing as Annie moved around Virginia; from her home to her Aunt’s to a friend’s, etc. Each new place brought new characters and incidents pertaining to the war. I was also surprised to see that there was a softer since to this story. Since the book is about a young teenage girl, there were a few tangents that involve men and the romantic side of knowing them. I think there were about two or three suitors that vied for Annie’s affection. These were very PG, of course, since the storyline is in the early 1860’s. Just enough romance to balance the war aspect and to keep the teenage reader’s hormones appeased! When I first read this book, I expected it to be just another forbidden love story centered around a whiny and over-dramatic female protagonist. Far from my expectations, Annie Sinclair is a strong woman whose relationship with Thomas Walker is intriguing and anything but bogged down and sappy. Every character is developed fully, and the book has no true center point, encompassing all aspects of the war and the Sinclairs' involvement in it. Overall, a well-rounded and exciting novel. en Burns' The Civil War, part Gone with the Wind, Elliott's third novel will be devoured by fans of historical fiction, and it's a natural choice for readers who gained the Northern perspective in Richard Peck's A River between Us (2003). As Virginia shuttles between Union and Confederate control, Annie witnesses "revolting horrors" in her own backyard. She is initially convinced that her side of the battle is the right one--Virginia fights for states' rights, not for slavery. But her certainty deteriorates as the war divides her family both physically and ideologically, and as she gradually loses her heart to an occupying Union soldier. Elliott's research is evident in a five-page bibliography, although the painstaking incorporation of war personalities, battles, and strategies at times bogs down the novel. Nonetheless, fiery, intelligent Annie remains a heroine to relish, and YAs who encounter her story will find themselves pondering the soul-wrenching questions she asks: "Had their war been a justifiable one? Could anything justify this much carnage?" -Amazon.com This book was fantastic. I've probably read it 3 times! |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
Annie Sinclair's Virginia home is right in the line of fire between Confederate and Union troops. She works with her family to tend wounded soldiers, and she even acts as a spy for the Confederate Army. However, when she is forced to tend to a Union soldier who begins to question her motives and conscious she begins to wonder why they should be fighting this war. As the war rages on Annie becomes accused of shocking crimes and must decide where her loyalties lie: with her home or with the North. ( )