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The threat of the American Civil War looms like a storm over the Kinkades' farm in the Arkansas countryside. A young boy, Duane, and his faithful dog Pounder know little of war. Each day is another adventure, fishing with Pa or his friend from town, or a set of chores for Ma before a steaming hot supper. Duane is in shock when Pa answers the call to fight for the Confederates, one day wrangling a huge fish, the next appearing as a distant figure facing dangers at war. Raiders rise up in the summer, killing his mother and leaving Duane for dead. With only Pa left of his family, the boy stows away and, with the help of friends along the way, gets into the Confederate Army as a drummer boy. The story follows Duane's path across Civil War fronts in four parts: "On the Eve of Conflict," "Up From Corinth," "Across the Valley to Darkness," and "Toward the End of the Search."
When imagining Civil War soldiers, surgeons, and support staff, the faces may fit a similar mold: a serious line of the mouth, aged crinkles around the eyes and forehead, a set, strong jaw, and a grown-out mustache. Yet Duane and his friends are no more than ten-year-olds, tweens, or early teenagers, with soft cheeks and curls framing their faces. For young kids discovering the American Civil War for the first time, Duane and his best friends on both sides of the battle lines are relatable as they share the honest, sometimes gut-wrenching lessons of war, including the love and faithfulness of good friends who race into bullet fire and flames to rescue you. Their inspiring actions under challenging circumstances shed some needed light on what's too often a journey through darkness.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
A 2026 Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Short List book