My Vicksburg by Ann Rinaldi

(Thanks go out to Oasis Audio for making this series possible through providing the review copies)

My Vicksburg by Ann Rinaldi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

I can't even begin to understand what it must have been like to be a young teen girl during the Civil War. The fear, the challenge, the work, the hope...it's a time period that seems longer ago than it really was.

In this book - My Vicksburg - Ann Rinaldi creates a fictional story based on history that will keep you glued to the radio (or MP3 player) until the last CD is over. It's fascinating to hear history in a personal view rather than just text book information.

This book is listed as Juvenile fiction, yet I would recommend it for older children, say ages 10 and up. Unfortunately there are 2 or 3 times where I noticed a bit of language that I did not appreciate.

However, as a whole, this audio book is a good way to entertain the family on a road trip. The narration is enjoyable as she brings depth to the characters with various voices. It's a story that will hold the attention of the whole family and since it's only 4 CDs long, it's the perfect length for any road trip.

BOOK OVERVIEW:

Claire Louise Corbett and her Confederate family flee their home as Union soldiers shell their town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. They venture out from the safety of a cave only three times a day, when the Union army takes their meals at eight in the morning, noon, and eight at night. Although many of the townspeople suffer from a lack of food, the Corbetts receive extra rations from Claire Louise's brother, Landon, a doctor with the Union army. When Claire Louise discovers her brother tending to a Confederate soldier who is responsible for Robert E. Lee's "lost order" (causing the South to lose the Battle of Antietam), she is forced to make a difficult choice between family and friends. Award-winning historical novelist Ann Rinaldi paints a story of family, courage and secrets during the 47-day siege of Vicksburg, a battle that has sometimes been ignored in history because it ended the same day as the Battle of Gettysburg.

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This review copy was provided courtesy of Oasis Audio in connection with Side Door Communications.