Across Five Aprils

Across Five Aprils is a book for young readers about the home front during the Civil War set in the border region of southern Illinois. The strength of the book is that it describes many facets of the Civil War experience: divided families and communities, the buying of substitutes, deserters, "copperheads" and all of the thoughts and emotions that surrounded these issues. It also captures the confusion that any citizen experiences in the midst of a war before the historians impose an order to the events - for better or worse. Is also exposes those who are not Civil War Buffs to the western theater where battles like Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge decided the great campaigns and men like C. F. Smith and Commodore Foote lead the gunboats down the Mississippi. The history is excellent and the range of topics covered, up to Lincoln's assassination and the looming rule of the Radicals in Congress are impressive. My only problem with the book is that the author tried a bit too hard to employ local dialect in the dialogue of her characters and this at times becomes tedious.

What I liked most about this Newbery Honor Book, published in 1966, was that it is based on the life of the author's grandfather. Jethro Creighton, growing up on a farm in southern Illinois, is a boy of nine in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War. Four men from his family go off to fight and he alone is left to help his father, mother and older sister. He does a lot of growing up in four years.

The opening of the book was a little confusing as I was introduced to the whole Creighton clan (a large family) in a matter of a few pages, and the POV jumps around before the story finally settling down to mostly being seen through Jethro's eyes. Towards the end, the story is more about the war and the battles fought than about Jethro and his family and it lagged a bit for me. Still, I appreciated the history contain in the novel.

There are moments of real heartbreak and terror, moments of hope. With the surrender at Appomattox and the assassination of Lincoln, the end of the war was both joyful and horribly sad and Across Five Aprils reflects that confused state the nation was in.

This book was required reading in graduate class on teaching literature several years ago. Reading it taught me how entertaining and meaningful literature for young readers can be. It is a masterpiece. It is particularly relevant during a time of social division and prejudice. It is he story of what it means to be an American.

Here's another book for middle school readers I found myself unable to donate to a public school library until I had read it myself.

The story is truly outstanding, based as it is on the family letters and stories of the author's grandfather, who himself was a nine-year-old boy when news that the Civil War had begun reached his family's southern Illinois farm.

The author has magnificently captured the local dialect, and the struggles of the main character to understand the meaning of the war and cope with its devastating effects on the family --- which the young Jethro Creighton does extremely well.

Junior high school students forced to read this story silently to themselves might find it tedious, as the language will undoubtedly be unfamiliar and difficult for them. But it will come alive to any child whose teacher or parent would read it aloud, breathing personality and gumption into the full cast of colorful characters.

A very enlightening read that animates the Civil War era --- and its strains on the young nation. I hope the school kids about to receive my copy will appreciate it half as much as I did.

Jethro Creighton is living in the time of the Civil war. It is just about to start and he is excited. Jethro and his family live in southern Illinois. So they live in a union state and have a union family. All of Jethro's brothers go into the war, and also his cousin. His brother John and Tom, and also his cousin Eb, go to fight for the union. However, his brother Bill makes a decision to fight with the confederacy. Jethro respects his decision and still loves him. While a lot of his family is out at war, Jethro is still at home and expected to work even harder out on the farm. All day he works in the heat, but he doesn't mind it so much. But things start going wrong. His brother Tom is killed in battle, it is very sad. While that happened, some of the men in the down are very angry that Bill went to the confederacy. They call him a traitor and said he deserted the union. Then they start taking action for it and start tormenting the Creighton's. After countless things they end up burning the Creighton's house down. Then Jethro finds Eb, he had deserted the union army. Jethro wrote a letter to President Lincoln to see what he needs to do. Jethro doesn't tell the family cause he doesn't want anyone to get in trouble. Later the war ends and Jethro gets his education. This book was ok, not the greatest I have ever read. There were things about it that I liked and there were things that I didn't like so much. I liked how it showed what war is really like. It showed that enemies aren't always your enemies. What I didn't like is that it was sort of boring.

This book showed what war is really like. Sometimes people actually want to go into war. They do not see what it is really like. It's really hard to imagine what it is really like. At the begging of the book Jethro is excited about it, he thinks that it will be fun, cool, and interesting. Later on in the book he figures out that it is none of those. He realizes that war is horror, filled with pain and sorrow. His brother dies; he doesn't even know how any of the other ones are doing. This portrays the way war is in a great way.

This book showed that your enemies aren't always really your enemies. A lot of them can actually be your friend, even if you don't know it. In this book there is a family that has a bad reputation. The son of the man who started the bad reputation killed Jethro's sister accidentally. But then Jethro goes on a ride with the father. He is frightened but then the man saves Jethro from people that want to hurt him, so really he is his friend. Also, even though some of Jethro's brothers are fighting each other, they aren't really enemies; they all still love each other.

This book was sort of boring. Though many things happen in it it's hard to stay with it. There isn't too much action that you actually read about. You hear about things that happen but you never get to read like you were there. Such as all the battles, you just read about what happened, not as if you were there.

This book was alright. I'm not sure I would read a sequel if it had one. There were just things about it that were good and some bad features also. I would recommend this book to people who like reading a lot and don't care if there is action or suspense in a book.

-J. Hamilton

I'm only writing this review after reading so many 1 star reviews, all saying that this book is 'boring'. I was appauled. I read it to my 6th and 4th grade girls and we all LOVED it. My 4th grader said this is one of her favorite books...and she is an incredible book worm. I thought it was incredibly thought provoking and really helped the reader understand both sides of the Civil War and what it did to those who lived through it. If an 8th grader thought it was boring, then they need to read more well written books. Yes, there was some accented language that would have been tough for my girls to read on their own. That's why I read it to them. This book makes for some really thought provoking discussions. I don't generally rave about children's books. I cried through this one. Don't read it to be entertained. Read it to be taught and inspired.

Somehow, I made it through childhood without ever knowing about this book. The story itself is very interesting, dealing with issues of death, and joy, and contentment, and innocence, and honor, and responsibility.

The setting is the five years of the Civil War, away from the front lines in rural southern Illinois. The characters are country people -- a large family and their neighbors. Jethro, our protagonist, is nine years old as the book opens, and the dreamy peacefulness of his protected childhood bursts wide open as the war talk turns to open conflict within his own family. He bears up, and by helping his family through the endless farm work, he develops manly honor and insight.

This book is a treat to read. I am raising a family of boys; I would want Shad or Mr. Milton or Bill or Matt, or Jethro himself, as a role model for any of them.

Irene Hunt does a wonderful job with the sibling relationships in this book, the personalities of the sons and the daughter, the affection and conflict. It helps to read this book with a good atlas of the Civil War... try this one.Great Maps of the Civil War: Pivotal Battles and Campaigns Featuring 32 Removable Maps (Museum in a Book) Or Atlas of the Civil War: A Complete Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle (National Geographic)

Ever heard of the adage "show, don't tell?" Irene Hunt hasn't. This book is written like it was designed to trick kids into learning about the civil. Jethro, the main character, is 9 when the book starts and watches as his family members leave for war, 3 for the Union Army (plus is favorite school teacher) and one for the Confederate Army (because it's important to remember that the Civil War was a fight between brothers and what better way than to make that literal?). From then on, the story takes place primarily by letter and summaries of newspaper articles running down through the lists of battles, the various generals and the opinions of random townspeople.

It is so freaking boring. Why not concentrate on domestic life if we're going to follow a 9 year old? The difficulties of keeping a farm running with all the grown men gone? Did the family get poorer since they were subsistence farmers? I have no idea; the book didn't tell me. It only mentioned how Jethro had to do a man's work at age 10 because his dad had a heart attack.

The author also constantly references How HIstory Will View Things and How Jethro Will Look Back. She doens't seem to have a clear grasp of point of view. It seems to start off with third person limited, but keeps going to third person omniscient to let us know how everyone thinks of the civil war today instead of how a 9 year old would have viewed it then. The 9-13 year old main character doesn't even really seem like a child, but an adult shoved into a child's body for convenience. How did this win a Newberry Award?

Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt is historical fiction. In 1861, Jethro Creighton is a nine year-old boy at the start of the American Revolution. This book tells how his family is affected throughout the war. His mother had twelve kids, but three of them died the year Jethro was born, the oldest daughter was murdered by a man in their town, and the oldest son went to California looking for gold. They haven't seen him since. This book, Across Five Aprils, goes through five years. In the beginning, all of Jethro's brothers and friends are drafted in the war. The war causes Jethro's family many hardships. First, his favorite brother, Bill, joins the war with the south, and not the north. Many towns people call Jethro's family "Copperheads" which means traitors. They think the Creightons are spies for the south. Gangs come to their house in the middle of the night and burn down their barn. Second, Jethro's father, Matt Creighton, has a heart attack, and becomes too weak to work the farm anymore. Time passes, and Jethro's family gets the news that Tom is dead. Eb, the Creightons' cousin who has lived with them for years, becomes a deserter. Jethro writes a letter to Abraham Lincoln asking him what to do about Eb. I like this book because i think it is very interesting. It gives a very accurate idea of what could happen to an average family during the American Revolution. I mostly liked the love story. Jenny Creighton, Jethro's 14 year-old sister, and Shad, Jethro's friend, are in love, and want to marry before the war, but Matt Creighton thinks Jenny is too young. When Shad becomes hurt, the family lets Jenny go to him and they get married. I don't like how sad this book is. Everyone in his family is dying or gone. Jenny, Jethro's sister, is my favorite characterb because I can relate to her. We are about the same age, and have many of the same problems. The scene when John and Bill see eachother for the first time in the war means something to me because it was very surprising. Most books are predictable, but this book was very surprising. This book is different from other books I have read because it is a historical fiction and I still think it is interesting. Usually these kind of books are boring, but this book kept my attention. I would recommend this book to other people. I tell them how interesting and exciting it is. After reading this book i have a few questions such as: What happened to John and Bill? Did they ever make it home? Does everyone in town hate Bill? Will anything happen to Eb when he returns to the war? The strongest reason I recommend this book is because it kept my attention. I would recommend this book to people of all ages.

outstanding book from a time when people took time to read and didn't expect a quick candy fix. It presents the trials of people "at home" and those who are often overlooked. I'd recommend the book to anyone who is staying at home while their loved ones have gone to be soldiers.
Apparently, from the 1-star ratings, it is a book for more mature audiences, perhaps high school students who aren't expecting a fast-paced rapid fire presentation and entertainment for entertainment's sake.

Life during the civil war is hard, especially for a 9-year-old boy and his family. His brothers, Bill, John, and Tom, and cousin, Eb Carron, had to leave home and join the arm; now, since all his older brothers have gone to war, Jethro Creighton has to make up the work for them. A few years later, the Matt and Ellen heard some terrible news - Tom was dead. In March 1863 finds Eb, now considered a deserter, hiding in the woods near their home, and Jethro does all he can do to help, even writing to the president. After four years of hardship and pain, the war is finally over. However, to everyone's disappointment, the president, Mr. Abraham Lincoln and been murdered in the fifth and last April of the war.
I started reading this book because it was the book literature group was assigned to. I didn't want to read it, but I didn't have a choice. So, I just read 15 pages every night and did the homework assignment. However, as I got farther into the book, I started to read more than I needed to.
I thought this book was a little boring because it was only about a 9-year-old peasant's life through the Civil War, but there were still parts of the story I enjoyed reading. My favorite part in this book was when Guy Wortman and his friends broke into Sam Gardiner's store. Sam had pretended to go on a business trip to St. Louise, but he was really hiding in his store. He had hit Guy right where he wanted to with buckshot, and held a lamp for the doctor.

I recently read a book titled Across Five Aprils; it's about a young boy named Jethro from Illinois. He is a farm boy who was of age when the Civil War broke out. He and his family worry about the war and if he would be able to dodge having to go. Young Jethro has to grow up faster than most adolescents and he learns to take on huge responsibilities. He gets up early in the mornings to help his mother in the field's he helps with the dishes. The community does not back up the Creighton family because Jethro's brothers join the Confederacy. The Confederacy is against having slaves. This causes problems for the whole family. To get through it the Creighton family sticks together and finds a way through this miserable Hardship.
I started reading this book because my English Teacher, Mrs. Shea, recommended it to me. When I saw the cover of the book I didn't want to have anything to do with the book. It looked boring; it looked like something someone old would read. It seemed like a waste of time, but I had to read it. So I read on. At the begging of the book it didn't seem worthwhile to read, but then it got interesting.
My favorite part of the book was the opening of every event that happened. Every time he mentioned the fields you could feel the heat of the fields. When he mentioned the murder of someone you could hear the gunshots and the horses gallop. At the dinner table when they all gathered and someone said something that they shouldn't have, you could feel the awkwardness. Irene Hunt did a great job with the descriptions and with the feeling within the whole entire book. This was an extravagant heart-pounding book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about Hardships wars, or excitement.

Across Five Aprils obviously brings you through five aprils.

It also brings you into the realm of the mid 1800's through the eyes of a low class child from the north,Jethro Creighton.

Whats great about the plot is the sake of realism with bits of unbelievable events that stir the drama up.Keep in mind this is a childrens book so it doesn't go too in-depth.The depth offered though isn't bad as it's a fairly short book.

Jethro Creighton is an average boy growing up during a war.His brothers get sent off to war causing controversy.Jethros household becomes very unstable and soon he ends up doing tasks as tough as his father Matt Creighton.This book emphasizes the fact that he had too grow up during a difficult point in history and needed to mature faster then others his age.It shows the wisdom that he obtains in those 4 years and how his opinions on war change.

Across Five Aprils has some of the most diverse characters truly showing it's ok too be different and stand up for what you believe in much like Bill Creighton and his joining to the reb side.Besides following Jethro's life you get filled in on some historical events and some of the brutal battles that took place as the campaign marched onward to much of Americas destruction and the death of a memorable president.

The only issue i noticed with this book is the pace, at sometimes it will hit you with all these massive issues, and other times it moves so sluggishly that at the end of a chapter you are bored out of your mind.With all that in mind this is a really great and many learn to aprreciate this book them ore they read it much like how i did.

Across Five Aprils is a wonderful recollection of what went on during the Civil War, through the eyes of a child.
I loved the way the book is written, since we rarely get to experience what children live and how they feel and react to terrible events that not only influence but change their lives forever.
It is true, this book is not a history one explaining past events, but a novel about everyday life in a time of war, and as such it includes some not very accurate comments on what happened, but it does a wonderful job telling us what people percieved to be happening at the time.
I liked the way the main character Jethro is developed, because I felt I could identify with him, his experiences and his suffering. Also, I thought some of the books passages were very realistic, such as his encounter with President Lincoln.
Finally, this is a book about family, about different points of view, about tragedy, but most of all, about an event that changed this country forever.

The book, Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt begins in 1861 when Jethro was 9 years old, and goes "Across Five Aprils" until 1865. The story takes place in Illinois while Abraham Lincoln is president and during the Civil War. My mom recommended the book because she read it in high school and thought I would enjoy reading a book about a family during the Civil War. Jethro is the main character and is excited about the idea of fighting in the war, but quickly learns that sad things happen during war. His brother and cousin die. At nine years old, he has to become responsible and help out on his family's farm. One of Jethro's brothers fights for the confederacy and he is threatened when he goes into town by some of the towns people. His dad was going to confront the people in town and then he dies of a heart attack. The family continues to be harassed by the towns' people, but several neighbors come to their assistance. At one point, Jethro writes a letter to Abraham Lincoln and he writes him back a very supportive letter. I actually really did like the book, even though I expected not too. It is actually one of the best books I ever read. You really got the feeling you were living during Civil War times. It almost felt like a movie, you could really feel the feelings of Jethro. I would recommend this book for any teenager.

Across Five Aprils is a well, written book and you should read it, but it may be too complex for young kids. Jethro Creighton shows true leadership in his early life as his brothers went to war, either fighting for the Union or the Confederates. When most people think of Abraham Lincoln, we think of him as a president EVERYONE liked from the beginning. Well, actually, he was not. Although he came out good in the end, the beginning was a rough one and during the election of 1860, he didnt even gain a majority in electoral votes, and ten southern states didnt even have his name on the voting ballot. This all has to deal with the coming of the war and the setting of this book. I rated this book a 4 because some parts of the book were a bit confusing, unless you reread it over again.

Across Five Aprils

Written by : Irene Hunt

This book starts by describing the Creighton family from Southern Illinois in the beginning of March, 1861. There are rumors of a short war starting and then suddenly, in April, Confederate soldiers attacked Fort Sumter. After this the story is about the Civil War from Jethro Creighton's point of view. At the time the war started he was nine. Two Creighton brothers and one of their cousins enlist for the Army and two of them die. The story ends after five long years with the Creightons hearing about President Lincoln getting assassinated.

This book was the most exciting book I read about the Civil War. It has many details, emotions and lots of setting descriptions. I especially liked how the author described the battles and the Creighton's farm. This book tells abot the characters' thoughts, instead other books only say facts about what happened with no emotions. I really felt the sadnees and cruelty of the war from all the letters the Creighton boys sent home. This book is so good I didn't dislike anything about it.

Out of a rating of 1-5, I would rate this book with a 5 and I would recommend it to readers who like Historical Fiction.

Student from San Anselmo, California

I would recommend this book for advanced 4th grade up to adults. It gives a great perspective on the Civil War from the point of view of a 9yo living in Illinois. The book encompasses the time period of the entire war from this boy's perspective-in relation to his family (bigger brothers off fighting in the war), his town, and President Lincoln. A well researched and well-written book! Highly recommend.

The story follows a young boy, Jethro, and his family at the start of the Civil war and as he grows. The book is similar to "My Brother Sam is Dead" as it follows a young boy into early adulthood. His family is divided between the views of the South and the North. His brothers go off to fight and he must stay behind to help run the farm and take care of the famliy. The dialect used in the book can make it difficult to read at times, especially for young readers. There are many facts about the war and different battles, which can be difficult for a younger reader to understand, but it is easier to remember these events when put into the context of a real story and family. It can be slow at times, especially at the beginning, overall it is well worth the read and the reader will learn something.

7th Grade Student

I enjoyed reading Across Five Aprils. It was well-written and descriptive, and gave a good view of what the Civil War was like away from the battlefield. I’m a huge fan of the Civil War, so books like this one appeal to me. If you don’t like reading about wars, you may not like this book as much as I did. I would give this book four out of five stars.
--N

From the terrifying history of the civil war comes a touching story of the home-life behind this catastrophe. This epic starts out with a farmer's family hearing about the Union's troubles with the Confederate south. When the 3 older brothers go off to battle, the younger Jethro has to stay home. Along with all the chaos going on, the father of the family becomes ill, leaving Jethro to tend the farm as well as take care of the family. With all the stress over work and fear of his brothers deaths it is amazing how this young man carries on. This gripping tale should by far be a favorite among civil war history!

It seemed like an educational book, and a book high enough for my level. The cover made this story seem like a story filled with hardship, heartache, and struggling. It seemed interesting and unique and I got attracted to it.
The main character in this story is Jethro Creighton. Only being 9, he finds that he has to grow up faster than he thinks. In the time of war and chaos, Jethro develops responsibility. He was the survivor among his three siblings who died, and was favored greatly by his mother. Jethro is a bright and mature kid who helps his family through the hard times.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Although it was a very touching book, it didn't really catch my interests. Not only did it talk mainly about war and death, it revolved too much around an historical event. The words were confusing to understand and the content wasn't very fun to read about. It seemed like I was stuck on one page the entire time. I had to review it over and over to understand it. For those of the viewers who do not like historical books, this is a book you want to avoid.

The book "Across Five Aprils" is about a nine year-old boy named Jethro who lives on a farm in Illinois, during the Civil War. In history books people say the Abraham Lincoln was a hero. In this book, they criticized him and blamed him for all the bad things that happened in war.
The reason that the Union army lost battles, is that the Generals would ignore Lincoln's orders and would so something else. I think that "Across Five Aprils" is for older readers but do not let me stop you from reading this great book. I am loved it so much that I am going to read it again for my May novel!

The book Across Five Aprils was really hard to get into. I ended up reading the first chapter four times before I even remotely understood it. Perhaps it is because my knowledge of the Civil War is not quite extensive--but how could that be? I have studied the Civil War for countless hours and have read many books on the topic. All I really want to say, I guess, is that if you are going to read this book, it is best to have a good handle on the Civil War and to like to re-read passages. (This was written with all due respect to Ms. Hunt and her novel.)

My grandsons read this book in their advanced reading class and told me that it was about Jasper County Illinois during the Civil War. I was born and raised in Jasper County and love any thing about the Civil War - I have it on my Kindle and bought a paper back for my brother. There is now a subdivision in Newton named after this book. I would recommend it to anyone from that area and those who are not.

My grandsons read this book in their advanced reading class and told me that it was about Jasper County Illinois during the Civil War. I was born and raised in Jasper County and love any thing about the Civil War - I have it on my Kindle and bought a paper back for my brother. There is now a subdivision in Newton named after this book. I would recommend it to anyone from that area and those who are not.

Irene Hunt describes life on a southern Illinois farm in much detail. Combine this with a dialect and you have a book not all readers will appreciate. However, some readers will find themselves caring deeply for young Jethro and all he struggles with - the loss of a brother, the responsibility of farm work, the hostility within the community, etc. They will also learn much about the Civil War as it unfolds throughout the story. This is an extremely well written book, truly deserving the Newbery Honor it won.

I am a fifth grade student at Waldron Mercy Academy (S.R.J.). I think that this book is better than a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge! Jethro is a 9-year old boy who is devastated when his three brothers, one cousin, and schoolmaster all go off to fight in the Civil War. Even though his family lives in the Union state of Illinois - Jethro's favorite brother, Bill, decides to fight for the Confederacy. All throughout the book Jethro has to deal with townspeople making nasty comments about Bill. Will Jethro every see Bill or his other brothers again?

Firstly, I am an Australian who is interested in the Civil War. I have had no formal education about American history and have only started to become a serious student of the Civil War through my husband's interest in the event.
I am greatly fascinated by the effects that Civil War (as with the Holocaust) had on the people of the country. I found Across Five Aprils a perfect introduction to Civil War fiction. It was well researched and written with great compassion. As a "foreigner", I found the apparent "Lincon" worshipping a bit much, but now, after a lot more research and many hours of watching documentaries and reading non-fiction works, I can understand the writer's adulation, especially from Jethro's adolescent point of view. Indeed, I was deeply moved by the last few pages, even to the point of tears as I could imagine Jethro's pain at the loss of his (for want of a better term) last great hope.
I am greatly amused by other reader's opinions of the book being "boring". Well, what can you expect? the store describes it as a fictional work. It doesn't say "Read the exiting adventures of a farmer boy as he single handedly wins the Civil War" does it?
This is an excellent read, as the author is so damned good at descriptive prose that you can feel the heat of the fields, take pleasure in the simple pleasures of these people's lives (who could've imagined that salads would have been such a treat!), rejoice in their small triumphs and feel for them in their loss.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this book for "foreigners" with an interest in the Civil War and its effects on an everyday rural family. I also liked this book as I was an avid fan of the Laura Ingalls Wilder (spelling?) Little House series as a child, and I sort of found this book in much the same style.

This book is far deeper, far more intense, far...more...than I anticipated. Because the stories come from the author's grandfather, this story has an authenticity that makes it stick into your mind and conscious. This book will stay with me for a long time. Highly Recommend.

i honestly cannot tell you much about this book because i didnt finish it. i got up to chapter 3 or 4, then got bored out of my mind. one thing i did like about this book is that they spelled the words as the people pronounced them, like family was fam'ly and happy was 'appy, i think you get the picture. this also made it confusing in some points, where unless you said the word out loud you would not be able to figure out waht it meant. one more good thing was the characters had conflicts not only with other characters, but had internal fights. one of the sons, Bill, was a Northerner like his family, but did not believe in the North so he went against his family and fought for the South. i cant write more because i still need to find cliffnotes for this book-i didnt read it and i need to finish a packet on it ;)

Jethro Creighton's life in rural Illinois seems far removed from the tense political events in Washington, DC. But when Jethro's teacher brings the news that the country is at war, Jethro's world comes crashing down around him. Too young to fight, he watches as almost everyone he cares about leaves to join the Union army--everyone except his favorite brother, Bill, who runs away to join the Confederates. Jethro waits, desperate for news and struggling to manage the farm with just his mother and sister, through the five long springs of the American Civil War.

Across Five Aprils is a powerful story about a boy becoming a man during the most difficult of times. The novel doesn't give the reader any easy answers about the problems of slavery or the horrors of war and the detailed accounts of real historical events make the novel fascinatingly believable. It was a Newbery Honor Book in 1965.

Like many others, I was required to read this book in school. Unlike those who apparently have no attention span or appreciation of our country's history, I enjoyed it a great deal.

Through Jethro's experiences, Ms. Hunt does an excellent job of touching on what the true heartache of this particular war was: brother against brother, with a difference in beliefs which split families apart and tore the nation.

What happened on the home front when all the young men left to go to war.
This novel is about a boy growing up in a farming community
in the north bordering a southern state whose relatives
on his mother's side were southern.
He follows the battles in the war as he struggles to get the crops in.
The point that northern people looked down on the farmer's dialect is make.
I enjoyed the historical perspective of the novel,
but I found the prose hard going at times as a matter of written style.

Across Five Aprils written by Irene Hunt is about Jethro Creighton and his family surviving the five Aprils of the Civil War. They face ups and downs and keep on going full of friendship, love, and hope. I loved this book because it is a beautifully written book. Also, it taught me more about the battles and what the people were thinking about the war than what I learned at school. I recommend this book to people who are interested in history and the Civil War. I would also recommend this book to those who love connections and an adventurous life story. I promise you that if you read this book you will not regret it.