Jan 9, 2009

Across Five Aprils | Overview

Across Five Aprils appeals to a rather specialized audience. The sophisticated treatment of the Civil War themes requires some familiarity with the great upheaval in American history. This quiet story unfolds in a rural corner of southern Illinois and describes the effects of the war on a human scale, concentrating on the experiences of Jethro Creighton. There are no firsthand accounts of battles from Jethro: everything about the fighting is filtered through letters from older brothers who have gone off to fight.

The novel presents some events not often depicted in stories about...