The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777

Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com

Abigail is a young girl living in Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War. She and her family are enduring great struggles during this hard time, between the birth of a new baby to the battles seemingly taking place right outside their doorstep.

She must get used to the idea that sides must be chosen, loyalties will be tested, and the true reason of what it means to be an American will be realized.

Smart and honest, this story is the perfect read for a budding young history buff. Ms. Gregory writes as Abigail, completely capturing the innocent view of a child forced to grow up in a time of war and great change. Young readers will be able to relate to Abigail's challenges while learning about show more history along the way.

Printed with a new cover and format, THE WINTER OF RED SNOW is flawless. show less

My copy from childhood was lost in ZA, but I found this one in a used book store (church) at Valley Forge itself! I'd forgotten why this was one of my favourite Dear America diaries, but it really is a stirring account of life very close to the army camp for a young girl in 1777-1778. This has always been one of my favourite periods in history and I love that this book could entertain me when I was young and can still do so now, when I know so much more about history and context.

Abigail Jane Stewart, called Abby by her family and friends, is the narrator of this fictional diary. She is only eleven when the American army makes camp near her home in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in December of 1777. She and her older sister, Elisabeth, and younger sister, Sally, are worried about their mother and newborn brother, but they try to help the army in whatever way they can. Abby, her mother, and sisters do laundry for General Washington, and Abby and Elisabeth sew for the soldiers and visit the encampment with Mrs. Washington to help with the sick soldiers. In viewing the horror of war firsthand, Abby matures from a child who views war as an adventure to a girl who, in spite of her young age, understands the sacrifices show more the soldiers are making to fight for freedom. This was one of the first Dear America books I read, and I still remember how very much I enjoyed it. It started me out on my way to loving this series. show less

I don't remember much of these books as individual books, but I remember reading them all as a young, avid reader. I think that ultimately these books are the reason why I love historical fiction novels so much. They all did such a great job of taking me to a different time and place and making it come alive, seeing the world through an older, historical lens. I highly recommend any of the Dear America books to younger readers who love history and need to get hooked on reading!

Summary: In this book, Abigail Jane Stewart's life is turned upside down when General George Washington and his soldiers come to Valley Forge. Abigail's family tries to help Washington in any way they can even though they are barley scrapping by. This story depicts how hard it was for the men who had little food and clothing to help them survive the winter and how hard Abigail and her family tried to help them; she would visit them and sew clothes for them. The family also did Washington's laundry. However, even though Abigail tended to Washington and grew through helping them, she still had concerns for her own family and was worried about losing her baby brother to the cold winter hardships. Through this story, the reader sees how show more Abigail grows and matures and learns how to put others before herself.

Review: I thought this book was a great read; it told a very realistic story about how hard it was to live back during this time period. It also showed how hard it was for the soldiers, who didn't have much to survive off of. The main message I learned through this book was to put others before yourself and to learn how to be compassionate. Throughout this book, Abigail was putting the needs of the soldier's in front of her own and she was even helping her mom out. She learned that war is to not be taken lightly and to show compassion to others in need. I thought this book was great because it allows the reader to reflect on Abigail's decisions, for example one of her friends, Lucy, ran away from home and Abigail received a note from Lucy telling her where she was but to not tell anyone. Abigail was torn on whether or not to tell that she knew where Lucy was and ended up keeping it to herself for a while. I thought this story was a great way to explore what it was like during this time and to show how important it is to help others. show less

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

This is the fictional diary of a girl who was living in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in the winter of 1777-78. That was the winter, of course, when George Washington and the Continental Army spent a harsh winter without enough food, clothing or shelter to go around. The girl, Abigail, is able to see many of the conditions suffered by the soldiers as well as giving a "first person" account of what it was like to have all these guys descend upon your community. The writing is pretty good, but like a lot of historical fiction for kids, it tends to have a little bit more information than you would expect from a kid's diary. Ah, well, it's still a tome worth checking out.
--J.