He "skedaddles" from both the union army he deserted and the Confederates who arrest him as spy.Ĭharley heads for the Blue Mountains. There he meets Granny Bent, an ornery, secretive old woman who is suspicious of the young Yankee deserter. Until an act of selfless courage-far from the sound of cannons and gunfire-proves to Granny, and to Charley himself, that he's not the coward he thought himself to be. It catches you right from the start! Once you start reading you can't put it down. You have to know how the book ends! It does show a true picture of the horrors of war, and shows the good and bad on both sides. It's really interesting and I say read it. It's a good history book about the Civil War and the people in and out of it. He kind of takes Charley under his wing after Charley was crazy enough to run away and join the army at twelve with a bunch of worldly people! But, *spoiler alert* Jem DIES!! *cries* It plain awful but it has to happen to lead to the next part of the story. Charley feels sorry for what he does and did and in the end is growing up to be a upstanding man. Okay, now I can tell you why I didn't like this book. Looking through it again it doesn't seem as disappointing as I remember but the first time I read it I had a completely different ending then I had imagined. Though the ending makes seance now when I read it. I have nothing against Catholics, really. I just don't believe the way they do and I believe that many of they're beliefs are wrong. It's just a little odd for me, to be reading about a catholic. She believes in God but can't read the Bible. So I wont say I completely agree with anything taught in this book.Ĭharley likes a girl. In fact you know they like each other but that's it. In the end before he leaves she gives him a peace of her hair tied with a ribbon. He tells Granny that "I rekon when I get to be as tall as I'll ever be, I'll be back. This ain't so bad a place for a man to settle." So, it's not a big deal to me, but it's in there, just so you know. I also didn't like that they kind of teach to prove yourself, and feeling good about oneself because they could do this or that. Thst's churchgoin' for Cath'lics, Ain't it?" "Mass? I heard of that when I lived below in the bluegrass country. No matter, it's the same God above that we both got, ain't it?" "Lord above, I got me a redheaded Cath'lic Yankee deserter boy here. I would recommend this book to children my age and anyone interested in leaarning more about The Civil War.She couldn't truly be a witch and be religious, too, could she? She'd called herself a "witch," and yet she was talking about churches. All the talk about gangs, family and belonging to something have meaning even in today's world. It's funny that Granny becomes more of a family than his real family. I like the fact that Charley got a chance to start his life over again. Charley learns to true meaning of being a hero when he kills a panther attacking Granny's farm and saves the old woman's life as well. Gradually Charley and Granny Bent gain some respect for each other. The lonely old woman forces Charley to stay on her farm as if he were a prisoner. He gets attacked by a goose whose job it is to protect the farm of old Granny Bent. Hungry, Charley is hoping to find some eggs. As he walks through the mountains, he comes upon an old farm. Trying to escape into the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charley meets an old man driving a wagon who gives him a ride.Charley talks for hours without realizing the old man hasn't understood a single thing Charley has said because of Charley's Ney York accent. Charley is captured by Confederate soldiers and questioned by an officer.The officer decides to let Charley go because of his age,not knowing that Charley has killed a Confederate soldier. When his friend, Jem, is killed Charley picks up a rifle and kills an enemy soldier.Filled with panic,he runs away and becomes a deserter. Charley discovers that surviving and being a hero are difficult in a war. Feeling rejected by his family, Charley joins the army in order to seek revenge for his brother's death and to became a hero like Johnny.
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