Shades of Gray

The Civil War may be over, but for twelve-year-old Will Page, the pain and bitterness haven't ended. How could they have, when the Yankees were responsible for the deaths of everyone in his entire immediate family?

And now Will has to leave his comfortable home in the Shenandoah Valley and live with relatives he has never met, people struggling to eke out a living on their farm in the war-torn Virginia Piedmont. But the worst of it is that Will's uncle Jed had refused to fight for the Confederacy.

At first, Will regards his uncle as a traitor--or at least a coward. But as they work side by side, Will begins to respect the man. And when he sees his uncle stand up for what he believes in, Will realizes that he must rethink his definition of show more honor and courage. show less

12 year old Will Page is orphaned by the war. He has lost everything he has ever known. He has go go live with his aunt and uncle. Will is not very happy about living with his Uncle Ned, because he thinks he is a coward. His uncle refused to fight with the Confederates in the war because he did not believe in what they stood for.

In the beginning Will is angry and resentful. Will is not used to doing hard work, but now that he lives on the farm. He is expected to pull his own weight. Will matures as he helps out on the farm, he becomes friends with his cousin Meg and makes peace with a bully, and comes to respect his Uncle Jed and see him as a strong and principled man.

I thought this book was a slow read.
It was interesting but it just show more took a long time to get there. show less

Twelve-year-old Will loses his entire family in the Civil War and moves in with an aunt and uncle he considers traitors.

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