Search - The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart (Dear America)

December 19, 1777
I woke to sleet hitting the window and another sound I'd not heard before.
A drumbeat.
Papa came in from milking and said, "The soldiers are comming."
...Finally, through the gray, we saw them. Three officers on horseback led. We ran outside to cheer, but the men were quiet and thin. The sight of them took my breath away.
"They have no shoes," Elisabeth whispered.
We watched for several minutes as they passed by. We were unable to speak.
Their footprints left blood in the snow.
As I write this upstairs, My candle low and our room cold, I think I shall never again complain.

My daughter enjoyed this one.

Another great book from the Dear America series.

December 19, 1777, Friday
I woke to sleet hitting the window and another sound I'd not heard before.
A drumbeat.
Papa came in from milking and said,"The soldiers are coming."...

This book is a fictional journal of the life of a young girl during the Revolutionary War.

Dec. 19, 1777, Friday-I woke to sleet hitting the window and another sound I'd not heard before. A drumbeat! Papa came in from milking and said, "The soldiers are coming." ...Finally, through the gray we saw them. Three officers on horseback led. We ran outside to cheer, but the men were quiet and thin. The sight of them took my breath away. "They have no shoes," Elisabeth whispered. We watched for several minutes as they passed by. We were unable to speak. Their footprints left blood in the snow. As I write this upstairs, my candle low and our room cold, I think I shall never again complain.

Another good book in Dear America Series. Enjoyed by those of any age.

Good book.

This book is the diary of a young girl. I think it's actually supposed to be a book for teenagers since I found it in the young adult section, but I am in my mid twenties and I really enjoyed it. It's not written all cheesey like some teen books. The girl really has a story to tell and she does it well. I think this would be great for your teenage daughter or yourself. Something you could both read and talk about later.

**** Disclaimer! The ISBN lists this book as a hardcover, but the book I'm posting is the paperback version. Same story, different format ****

Grade 5-8 The hardships of the Revolutionary Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78 have become symbolic of patriotism and perseverance. This novel recounts the experience through the eyes of 11-year-old Abby Stewart, whose family lives near the encampment. Abby's childlike yet perceptive diary records her varying emotions toward the soldiers?curiosity, pity, anger, revulsion, enthusiasm?as she observes and interacts with them. Although Gregory's overall tone is positive, she doesn't neglect the downside of army life (disease, desertion, thievery) or the horrors of war. Daily events?chores (especially cooking and laundry), amusements, trials, worries, family interactions?are smoothly woven into the story. The Winter of Red Snow gives readers an interesting and realistic look at the Revolutionary War. However, the quaint language ("I could speak not") is awkward. A two-page epilogue fills readers in on these fictional characters' fates, and a lengthy historical note provides documentation on life in 18th-century America.