Julie G (I click boxes to no avail)'s Reviews > Across Five Aprils
Across Five Aprils
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by
Julie G (I click boxes to no avail)'s review
bookshelves: 60s-forever-more-1960s-titles, the-civil-war, war-is-hell, illinois, a-boy-s-life, i-love-lincoln, april-showers, spring-fever
Jun 14, 2024
bookshelves: 60s-forever-more-1960s-titles, the-civil-war, war-is-hell, illinois, a-boy-s-life, i-love-lincoln, april-showers, spring-fever
This dust was once the man,
Gentle, plain, just and resolute, under whose cautious hand,
Against the foulest crime in history known in any land or age,
Was saved the Union of these States.
--Walt Whitman, 1871
If you have ever doubted Abraham Lincoln's demeanor, behavior or efficacy as a U.S. President or a human being, I invite you to open up this Newbery Honor book and see what you think of the man.
We don't “visit” with President Lincoln in this middle grades read; we see him only from afar, through the eyes of several fellow Illinoisans, and we get to read a letter that he wrote.
But this story, set in Illinois during the Civil War, ends with the jubilant end of the war and then the nightmarish, shocking tragedy of Lincoln's death.
I've never encountered a story before where we are made privy, as readers, to so many personal responses to Lincoln's assassination.
I bawled, right out on our deck, reading the final pages to my daughter.
It is hard to imagine, here, where we are, in 2024, feeling so bereaved that one of our presidents has died that we can't speak, can't work, and can't think.
Even as divided as this nation was in 1865. . . we still mourned the loss of a leader in a way that I fear has been lost to us forever, for several reasons. I hope that I'm wrong.
This book is imperfect; in the shared opinion of this combined mother/daughter team, we found this story to be too lopsided with newspaper updates and letters and not enough action or adventure.
We both preferred RIFLES FOR WATIE, as a middle grades Civil War offering, but this book was definitely good, and the best parts all involved Abraham Lincoln.
Gentle, plain, just and resolute, under whose cautious hand,
Against the foulest crime in history known in any land or age,
Was saved the Union of these States.
--Walt Whitman, 1871
If you have ever doubted Abraham Lincoln's demeanor, behavior or efficacy as a U.S. President or a human being, I invite you to open up this Newbery Honor book and see what you think of the man.
We don't “visit” with President Lincoln in this middle grades read; we see him only from afar, through the eyes of several fellow Illinoisans, and we get to read a letter that he wrote.
But this story, set in Illinois during the Civil War, ends with the jubilant end of the war and then the nightmarish, shocking tragedy of Lincoln's death.
I've never encountered a story before where we are made privy, as readers, to so many personal responses to Lincoln's assassination.
I bawled, right out on our deck, reading the final pages to my daughter.
It is hard to imagine, here, where we are, in 2024, feeling so bereaved that one of our presidents has died that we can't speak, can't work, and can't think.
Even as divided as this nation was in 1865. . . we still mourned the loss of a leader in a way that I fear has been lost to us forever, for several reasons. I hope that I'm wrong.
This book is imperfect; in the shared opinion of this combined mother/daughter team, we found this story to be too lopsided with newspaper updates and letters and not enough action or adventure.
We both preferred RIFLES FOR WATIE, as a middle grades Civil War offering, but this book was definitely good, and the best parts all involved Abraham Lincoln.
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Reading Progress
May 23, 2024
–
Started Reading
May 23, 2024
– Shelved
May 23, 2024
–
4.46%
"One learned when to speak and when to keep one's tongue between his teeth."
page
10
May 31, 2024
–
12.05%
""Human nature ain't any better one side of a political line than on the other--we all know that--but human nature, the all-over picture of it, is better than it was a thousand--five hundred--even a hundred years ago.""
page
27
May 31, 2024
–
19.64%
""There'll be things that tear you apart, but you'll have to stand 'em.""
page
44
June 14, 2024
–
Finished Reading
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K
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rated it 3 stars
Jun 14, 2024 09:51PM
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Thank you. I thought your assessment of this novel was quite accurate. You know. . . your kids may not want you to read RIFLES FOR WATIE aloud to them anymore, but you could always read it to yourself! I totally know what you mean. . . there is a magic made when we read some of these books to our kids, but I do think you'd enjoy that one plenty, as an adult.
I had almost those exact thoughts, as I was wondering about this. You and I were both too young to remember any presidents until probably the mid-80s, and it's hard for me to think of myself as being "bereaved" by the loss of any of them, other than Barack Obama. He is the only U.S. president, other than Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, who has managed to capture my true interest and devotion.
Thank you. I have not! I'll look it up right now.
Your comment is so kind. Thank you. I feel as though I can't bestow enough love on this man. I wish I could have known him.
xoxo