Wiechman, Kathy Cannon. Like A River.

Wiechman, Kathy Cannon.  Like A River.    Calkins Creek (Boyd's Mills)  2015  336p  $17.95  ISBN 978-1-62979-209-5  ms  Historical fiction  VG-BN    

The Civil War attracted all sorts of participants, including both underage and women soldiers.  When representatives of these two categories meet, this Civil War story comes alive.  Characters in the debut novel by Kathy Cannon Wiechman are believable, often fighting demons of their own along with the enemy.   When Nate nearly dies jumping into a lake, his brother, Leander Jordan, takes his place by signing up for the Union army in Ohio.  While in a southern hospital, Leander meets Paul Settles, and together they build a relationship as Paul nurses Leander through the loss of his arm.  When Paul’s soldier father dies, Paul moves back to his regiment but is caught and sent to Andersonville.  The horrors of that prison camp are world-renowned; Wiechman’s job is to describe them without scaring young readers.  She accomplishes this through the use of vivid description and an authentic storytelling ability that is only eclipsed by her dialogues and well-narrated interactions between characters.  Rivers play a part in setting the background and drawing parallels between the lives of the characters and the life of a river.  Wiechman fits a lot into one novel, ending with Settles’s release from the kettle into the fire, literally.  Settles endures one final near-death experience, the Sultana explosion, a tragedy of epic proportions at the end of the Civil War.  Imagine Andersonville.  Then imagine a deeper Hell, an overloaded boat returning prisoners of war to their homes and an explosion that kills most of them.  Wiechman brings the story to a predictable closing, but there were so many surprises throughout the book that the reader needs predictability at the end.  The world is small and coincidences happen; thus, young readers will like Wiechman’s resolution. 

Summary: When Leander signs up to become a Union soldier, he learns the hard way that as a young teen, he isn’t mature enough for war.  He accidentally blows off his arm, and it is while he is hospitalized that he meets someone who will change his life forever.      

Civil War-Fiction                                           --Martha Squaresky

Moss, Marissa. A Soldier’s Secret.

Moss, Marissa.    A Soldier’s Secret.     Amulet see Abrams, Harry      387p $18.95 978-1-4197-0427-7 2012 jr/sr   VG        Historical Fiction

This remarkable narrative relates and fictionalizes the peculiar-but-true story of a courageous young woman who passed for a man from the time she was sixteen until after she left the Union Army.  It begins with her charade working as a traveling salesman until she enlists and begins work in an army hospital, fights in several battles, and even becomes a spy, without anyone the wiser, at a time when women were generally considered incapable of exiting a vehicle without masculine assistance.  Slavery, soldiers, and cross-dressing, oh my!  

This historical novel tells of the soldiering life of Sarah Edmonds, known for years as Frank Thompson, a traveling salesman who gave up a bright future to enlist in the Union Army, where he served for several years as a fighter, nurse, and spy.  This is a well-researched, engrossing narrative that describes the thrills and dangers of being a soldier in the Civil War, contending with sickness, battle, incompetent leadership, and heartache.  The first-person narrative introduces us to a young woman ahead of her time in attitude and in action, as Frank/Sarah not only opposes the morally reprehensible institution of slavery, but demonstrates to her colleagues the boundlessness of female capability so flawlessly that only one of her companions ever guesses that she might be anything more than a brave but small-footed soldier, let alone a nineteen-year-old woman.  In addition to telling an unforgettable story, author Marissa Moss includes many period photographs to give readers a visual understanding of the characters and conditions the protagonist would have met with during her enlistment.  The novel is filled with historical details that are included so incidentally it is clear that Moss has an intimate knowledge of the subject.  It concludes with a thorough timeline and a note on historical personages, as well as a select bibliography that includes a great deal of primary-source material.  The prose doesn’t always take advantage of the potential for emotion, but that is in keeping with the persona of Frank Thompson.  Budding history buffs will appreciate the historical accuracy of the work, while enjoying its readability.  While this is an engaging solitary read, it is also an excellent book for group discussion, particularly for educators and librarians who are reluctant to force less readable primary sources on their students and patrons.     

Edmonds, S. Emma E., 1841-1898–Fiction, Civil War, 1861-1865-Women –Fiction, Impresonation-Fiction   

                                                      --Bethany Geleskie