Orphan Hero: A Novel of the Civil War

A good book for history but simplistic like it was written for a grade school student. As such it is probably better than a dry history lesson since it is also based on a factual story. As an adult novel, it was routine and the writing was not inspiring.

This story earns a five-star rating for its historical accuracy. The author has taken the family stories of his great-grandfather's life and expanded them into a historical fiction novel with unparalleled detail and accuracy. It's obvious that a great deal of time was spent doing meticulous research. The story immerses the reader into life on the Oregon Trail and in the Califonia gold-mining towns from 1849 to 1859. Later the author, John Babb, takes us to the Gulf of Mexico where his Great-Grandfather B.F. Windes became a blockade-runner during the American Civil War. And when the war ends Windes takes his fortunes to settle in southwest Missouri, only to face post-war bushwhackers.
In a time when historical fiction is often poorly written by authors and writers playing so loosely with the facts, this work is a refreshing and unerring chronical of mid-nineteenth century life in America.

I absolutely LOVED this book! The story itself is wonderful, but the fact that it is a TRUE story just made it even better. I have a 7 year old son and the thought of him leaving home is enough to ignite a full out panic attack. The fact that Benjamin Franklin “B.F.” Windes left home at 8 years old and crossed the country to search for his Pa & it was during 1849, just sounds unbelievable. He was able to accomplish what grown men were often killed trying to do. He not only managed to survive, he was able to thrive by coming up with various ways to earn money & support himself based on where he was and what opportunities were available (or UN-available). He also tried to help his fellow man (& woman) along the way. He was sometimes not given the same respect and honor that he tried to give to others & it no doubt had a profound impact on him, but I loved how he seemed to always find a way to keep trying and pushing forward. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in history. It is obvious that great time was spent by the author to make the book as accurate as possible & it all flows effortlessly through from the first page to the last. I read the book & also listened to the Audiobook when driving to work. The narrator of the audiobook version was superb & made it easy for me to transport myself so that I felt like I was traveling right alongside B.F.
I would love to have someone make this into a movie!

This is the story of Benjamin Franklin Windes who is the great grandfather of the author. As a young child of eight, B. F. (as he would be called later in life) leaves home to head for California because he mistakenly thinks his father has gone there. He can’t stay at his home in Jeffersonville, Indiana because his step-mother insists that he spends all his days taking care of their farm with no time for school or visiting his beloved aunt. He sets out to find his father by joining a wagon train and he never returns home. He is an enterprising young man and manages to make money by being a barber. This follows his life from the gold fields of California to a blockade runner during the Civil War to finally a store owner in Keetsville.

This is a work of fiction although it is based on B. F. Windes’ journal. There are moments of brilliance during the story where I didn’t want to put it down. There were also times of dull reading that made this story monotonous. The title is also misleading because he wasn’t an orphan and it wasn’t about the Civil War. He was a blockade runner for the South during the war and there was still guerilla warfare around Keetsville when he was living there but there was nothing about particular battles. I also felt that quite a few loose ends were not tied up in different areas of the story.

I did find many parts of this story fascinating. Even as a very young boy, B.F. is very enterprising and takes care of himself, a tradition that continues through the rest of his life. He sees many tragedies but still continues to preserve. This is a very valuable lesson that is as valid today as it was then. Pick this story up if you are interesting in the happenings in America from 1849 to 1866.

This was an unusual book. The descriptions of the hardships faced by the wagon trains headed west in the middle 1800's were very interesting. The entire saga of BF was intriguing. The only problem I had with the book was imagining an eight year old boy facing and overcoming the problems he had. Yet, the author explains that much of the material came from the notebooks of his ancestor. I would recommend it for an interesting, if not necessarily absorbing book.

I really enjoyed reading Orphan Hero by John Babb. It is incredible the main character young B.F. Winded kept such a journal about his life and travels. At times I felt that I was traveling with B.F.This is a wonderful story combined with a good history lesson. I especially liked his description of the people that B.F. encountered in his travels.

Loved reading this! While technically it's fiction because of filling in some blanks such as actual conversations, the story and events are true and absolutely incredible. It gives great insight into what kids, and all people, are capable of when forced into situations. It's a great read that is hard to put down.

This book was great. The main character endures so many crazy, amazing hardships sprinkled with the occasional moment of joy. I admire this boy's endurance and ability to overcome the obstacles set before him as he travels the wild country in search of his father in the gold fields of California. Barbering his way across the plains, he begins to build a life and a future for himself, one that would be secure for any woman who thinks she can handle him.