Previous

Genre 

Young adult, fiction, historical fiction

Narrator 

Anonymous, centering around the experiences of Jethro Creighton

Point of View 

Third-person limited, reflecting the experiences of Jethro Creighton

Tone 

Grave; melancholy; determined

Tense 

Past

Setting (time) 

The novel takes place during the American Civil War.

Setting (place) 

Southern Illinois, on a farm

Protagonist 

Jethro Creighton

Major Conflict 

The American Civil War and the way it affects the country and a specific family

Rising Action 

Two brothers, one cousin, and one family friend join the war. The Creightons all suffer anxiety over whether they are alive or not.

Climax 

The climax of the war is the climax of the book as well, around the point of the Battle of Gettysburg when the North picks up momentum and enjoys a victory.

Falling Action 

The war ends. Southern deserters are permitted to reenter the Union with amnesty.

Foreshadowing 

Milton's comment about peace not being a "perfect pearl," Hunt's description of the deserters, the men in the store being angry about Bill's involvement with the South.

Previous section Symbols

Popular pages: Across Five Aprils

Take a Study Break