Shadows of War: Prelude to the First Memorial Day

High spirited Sophie Keller whispered secrets to her best friend, Emma, as they hurried to the first day of school, August 5, 1862.  How could they have known that the day ahead would change their lives forever? 

Geared for the middle grade reader, and older, Shadows of War: Prelude to the First Memorial Day reveals life in one small Pennsylvania village during the Civil War.  Young boys, at the Boalsburg Academy join their professor, trade their books for guns, and march off to fight in the Civil War, leaving classmates, Emma and Sophie behind.  Through the retelling of the actual events, places, and characters, we experience the deployment of Company G, the 148th Pennsylvanians.  We grasp how the excitement of going to war becomes increasingly difficult, for the boys, over days, months and years. At the same time, we understand how the mounting struggles of the folks at home, eventually lead Emma and Sophie to observe the First Memorial Day.