An Island Far From Home (Adventures in Time) - Softcover

Donahue, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1575050765 ISBN 13: 9781575050768

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books ®, 1995

Synopsis

Joshua Loring is the twelve-year-old son of a Union army doctor killed during the Civil War. This compelling novel conveys how Joshua gains new insights into the realities of war and the fine line between friends and enemies when he begins to correspond with a young Confederate prisoner. In the end, he risks his life to travel to the island where his new friend is held captive.

About this title

About the Author:

John Donahue is the author of An Island Far from Home. He lives in Massachusetts. 

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-7?A thought-provoking Civil War story involving a Yankee boy and a 14-year-old confederate soldier. Joshua Loring, 12, lives in Massachusetts and is adjusting to the death of his father, who was a doctor in the Union army. His uncle, Major Robert Pennington, is in charge of POWs on nearby George's Island. The man tells his nephew about a prisoner who is quite young, scared, and alone, and asks that he write to him. Joshua is appalled at the thought of writing to the enemy, and yet at the same time he is intrigued by the idea of learning about a Confederate soldier close to his age, and he decides to write one letter. But one letter leads to another, and their pen-pal relationship grows to a respectful friendship. Donahue has masterfully drawn the young characters; through their correspondence, they slowly reveal personal characteristics that contradict their stereotypical views of one another. In an exciting, climactic ending, and under dangerous circumstances, the boys finally meet. A page-turner full of emotional turmoil that's wonderful for discussion groups and extremely accessible to reluctant historical fiction readers.?Rita Soltan, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books ®
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 1575050765
• ISBN 13: 9781575050768
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 180