Saw this at a thrift store for 10 cents and it seemed like it might be a good read. It was. The story is told primarily from the point of view of Tim Meeker a 13 year old living in Connecticut during the Revolutionary war. Its an easy read and the narrative consistently gives one a view of what it might have been like to live through those times.
However, the best point of this book is how it de-mythologizes the Revolutionary War. It was after all, a war and wars are brutal nasty things. Instead of the glamorizing of war that we see in Johnny Tremain, this YA novel reminded me a lot of the old Jimmy Stewart movie Shanendoah. Both have serious anti-war messages.
That said... this novel won a Newbery medal and I was a bit disappointed overall. That medal connotes stories that generally rise above the levels that this one achieved.
However, the best point of this book is how it de-mythologizes the Revolutionary War. It was after all, a war and wars are brutal nasty things. Instead of the glamorizing of war that we see in Johnny Tremain, this YA novel reminded me a lot of the old Jimmy Stewart movie Shanendoah. Both have serious anti-war messages.
That said... this novel won a Newbery medal and I was a bit disappointed overall. That medal connotes stories that generally rise above the levels that this one achieved.
