Part of The Student Room Group

  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

Across Five Aprils Book Review

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

Introduction Across Five Aprils is a fictional novel based on the five-year civil war that occurred in our country. The main character goes by the name of Jethro Creighton, who in the beginning of the novel is a nine-year-old boy. Jethro lives on a farm in Southern Illinois with his mom, dad, sister, and four older brothers who are all close to their 20s. The time is April, 1861. War is imminent in the beginning of the novel between two parts of the country- the North and the South. President Abraham Lincoln doesn't know which side of the nation to support and refuses week after week to start this war. People are getting angry at him and tensions between the two sides are boiling till it pops. The Confederates of the South then fire on Fort Sumter and the war begins. Jethro, not knowing the reality of war, is excited and curious. But soon Jethro regrets his excitement when all his brothers, his cousin, and his favorite school teacher, Shadrach Yale have to go off to fight. ...read more.

Middle

The Southerners were wealthier than the Northerners, so this caused some tension, especially when Southern states withdrew from the Union. The abolitionists were angered over slavery when the South started to get wealthier and as they never cared about slavery before, they stayed angered and eventually the whole nation split in two and hatred began till burning point. And so the war started and hundreds of thousands of casualties resulted from this war. The overall theme of this novel is that war is not always as exciting and predictable as it seems. When Jethro first heard of the war, he viewed it as an adventurous opportunity compared to the boring farmers' life he was used to. He expected, like everyone else in Illinois at the time, for the war to be short and for the North to win. The author seems to favor the North seeing as how she made the main character, Jethro, side with the North and with the Union. Irene Hunt also seems to express her views, that war has its price and that peace is not always perfect (President is assassinated), with great details. ...read more.

Conclusion

This book taught me that Presidents really have a hard job in deciding and ruling over the country in war and playing the role of commander in chief. Recommendation Across Five Aprils is a novel that can appeal to any reader and I recommend this book to people of all ages. Not only is this book based on a historical event and therefore educational, but it also contains romance, loyalty, and compassion. While there is Jethro Creighton and his loyalty for his country, in this novel, there is also a hint of romance when his older sister, Jenny, loves and marries Jethro's favorite schoolmaster, Shadrach Yale. The novel's main characters are the Creighton family of Southern Illinois and they are all greatly affected during the violent years of the civil war. The protagonist, Jethro Creighton, is a little boy who is based on the family records and past experiences of the author, Irene Hunt and her family. This book greatly impressed me; from the moment I first saw that it was a Newbery Honor book. To find out what happens at the end of the novel to the Creightons and which side (north/south) is victorious in the war- READ THIS BOOK! ?? ?? ?? ?? ...read more.

The above preview is unformatted text

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE History Projects section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related GCSE History Projects essays

  1. Executive Summary Fairmont hotels.

    Properly utilizing dryers with full loads, correct temperatures and times helps control finishing costs. This is a variable cost that is often overlooked, but is a real cost that should be analyzed closely. Chemical: Cost of all supplies used to clean linens A manager will review all options to take

  2. To what extent was slavery the key cause of the American Civil War?

    Jefferson Davies, President of the Confederacy during the Civil War, claimed after the war that the south had fought for state rights rather that to save slavery. The dispute over a federal government or a government at state level arose because of the differences between the north and south.

  1. Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Review

    It is here that certain flaws in the story become impossible to ignore. For instance, although this book has a measure of historical accuracy, there would have been no way the relationship between Shmuel and Bruno would have been possible, as children taken to death camps were not kept as workers but killed immediately.

  2. Gallic war

    * Antony at this time was threat to safety of state by attacking D. Brutus at Mutina; however, republicans had no troops in Italy, whereas Octavian had himself raised a considerable army from Caesar's veterans. * Cicero did not trust Octavian, but decided the young man could be used for the republican cause.

  1. War experiences

    The power of the shell sent mud flying everywhere and although I did not realise it then I was struck in the lower leg with shrapnel. I couldn't stand up and was rather shaken so I looked around to try and find the men I had been working with.

  2. Critical review - Circle of fire The Indian war of 1865

    The chapters are chronologically built up. McDermott's description of the events begins in January when the first battles start. He describes how the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Sioux Indians together with the trader George Bent and his sons attack Julesburg, a home station for the overland stage line, which is the first battle in the war of vengeance.

  1. To what extent and why did Machiavelli’s views on politics and human nature in ...

    Whereas a ruler would be heralded a great ruler if he led his army in a bloody battle that cost many lives on both sides but defeated the enemy. In the first case the ruler was pious and in the second case the ruler set aside piety.

  2. Book Review. Treasury of Royal Scandals is a national bestseller book written by ...

    Unfortunately for those people, however, one torture session could last several weeks. It became obvious during the time of the inquisition, that there was no religious freedom what so ever. If there was one person whose life exemplified a disregard for the common people, that person was Gregory Rasputin.

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work