| Author: | Jenn Freed | ISBN: | 9781937997243 |
| Publisher: | Northampton House | Publication: | April 1, 2013 |
| Imprint: | Language: | English |
| Author: | Jenn Freed |
| ISBN: | 9781937997243 |
| Publisher: | Northampton House |
| Publication: | April 1, 2013 |
| Imprint: | |
| Language: | English |
"A fine story and easy read, told with compassion and a honed sense of the teen years . . . a near perfect read for young adults."
-- Edison McDaniels II, Author of NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE
". . . A page-turner where Huck Finn, in a manner of speaking, meets Henry Fleming of The Red Badge of Courage . . . a very nifty tale where the Civil War lives on."
-- John Bowers, author of STONEWALL JACKSON: PORTRAIT OF A SOLDIER
The truth can be hard to look at head on. But facing it is how we grow up.
The year is 1938, and as the shadows of the war to come lengthen, the shadows of wars past still linger. Sixteen-year-old Bill Geiselman knows two things for sure: his grandfather is a Civil War hero, and his father was a coward in World War I.
In a few days, the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will take place, marked by a gathering of veterans – both the Blue and the Gray. But his father has forbidden him to escort Grandpa Jacob to the reunion – or rather, ‘The Last Encampment,’ as the veterans are growing too old and feeble to travel. Following a violent argument, though, Bill’s grandfather suffers a heart attack and dies.
Angry and guilty, Bill runs away, hitch-hiking along country roads to Gettysburg. Perhaps there he can find Frank Reynolds, his grandfather’s buddy during the Late Unpleasantness, and relay the news of Jacob’s passing. But Bill’s sheltered small-town upbringing puts him in danger. He’s swindled, attacked, and robbed, chased by dogs and angry farmers with shotguns. To survive, he finally turns to theft and deception.
Reaching Gettysburg at last, wandering the camp and battlefield, he begins to doubt his grandfather’s stories. At first the contradictions seem minor. But in the end he has to decide whether Grandpa Jacob really was the hero he’d always made himself out to be . . . and whether, perhaps, there’s more to his father than the label ‘coward’ might suggest.
About the Author
Jenn Freed earned a B.S. in education from Penn State University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Wilkes University. Incorporating skills from both degrees, she teaches young adults at both the local high school and at Penn State University. In addition to historical fiction, she has published two personal essays: “A Child’s Memory” in Common Ground magazine and “Changing Course,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners. An avid runner herself, Jennifer lives in Pennsylvania with her three sons.
"A fine story and easy read, told with compassion and a honed sense of the teen years . . . a near perfect read for young adults."
-- Edison McDaniels II, Author of NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE
". . . A page-turner where Huck Finn, in a manner of speaking, meets Henry Fleming of The Red Badge of Courage . . . a very nifty tale where the Civil War lives on."
-- John Bowers, author of STONEWALL JACKSON: PORTRAIT OF A SOLDIER
The truth can be hard to look at head on. But facing it is how we grow up.
The year is 1938, and as the shadows of the war to come lengthen, the shadows of wars past still linger. Sixteen-year-old Bill Geiselman knows two things for sure: his grandfather is a Civil War hero, and his father was a coward in World War I.
In a few days, the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will take place, marked by a gathering of veterans – both the Blue and the Gray. But his father has forbidden him to escort Grandpa Jacob to the reunion – or rather, ‘The Last Encampment,’ as the veterans are growing too old and feeble to travel. Following a violent argument, though, Bill’s grandfather suffers a heart attack and dies.
Angry and guilty, Bill runs away, hitch-hiking along country roads to Gettysburg. Perhaps there he can find Frank Reynolds, his grandfather’s buddy during the Late Unpleasantness, and relay the news of Jacob’s passing. But Bill’s sheltered small-town upbringing puts him in danger. He’s swindled, attacked, and robbed, chased by dogs and angry farmers with shotguns. To survive, he finally turns to theft and deception.
Reaching Gettysburg at last, wandering the camp and battlefield, he begins to doubt his grandfather’s stories. At first the contradictions seem minor. But in the end he has to decide whether Grandpa Jacob really was the hero he’d always made himself out to be . . . and whether, perhaps, there’s more to his father than the label ‘coward’ might suggest.
About the Author
Jenn Freed earned a B.S. in education from Penn State University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Wilkes University. Incorporating skills from both degrees, she teaches young adults at both the local high school and at Penn State University. In addition to historical fiction, she has published two personal essays: “A Child’s Memory” in Common Ground magazine and “Changing Course,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners. An avid runner herself, Jennifer lives in Pennsylvania with her three sons.
