With a stirring blend of historical fiction, based on the lives of true-life Confederate spies, this rich Civil War novel about an extraordinary young heroine is ideal for budding history enthusiasts. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 6-9 Elliott does a fine job of weaving the issues of the day into her story, helping readers to come away with an understanding that the Civil War was not just about North versus South or even slavery. Annie's older brother fights in the Southern Army, while her younger brother takes up with a vigilante group. When her mother catches diphtheria from a sick and wounded soldier, Annie is left to manage their Virginia home and farm. Early on, the teen meets a wounded Yankee officer, Thomas Walker, and they discover that they share a love of poetry. By the end of the novel, Annie has come to a growing awareness that slavery is wrong, has spent six months in a prison in Washington, DC, for carrying messages and hiding Confederate soldiers, and has made the difficult decision to marry the Yankee she loves. Annie is a strong and memorable heroine, and her story is one of a young woman loyal to her Southern roots but aware of the wrongs on both sides. At the same time, the book contains romance and gives a rich portrayal of the everyday life of a prosperous family during this period and an understanding of the effect of the war on both sides of the conflict. Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-11. Part Ken 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? JenniferMattson. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.