Around this time period there is a war going on. But it is the country vs them self's they are killing and hurting themselves. For the citizens they dont know what side to pick or be on it is completely out of control. Especially for this family from Southerner Illinois. It is summer time and it will be distractful for most to keep there mide off the war going on in there own back yard. Right around this time the battle of Bull Run is under way. " And everyone realizes this will be a longer, harder battle than they thought."

There have benn news of the nort looseing a battle in Missouri. A Union commander and many soldiers from Illinois died there. Not only does this mother have a lot of kids and a farm to look out for there are many of here friends dieing. many people from the state dieing. This was not a good time for the North.

Picture a mom in a store with no free hands, one hand on the cart, child, items while telling her kids to stop running around. In the book Across Five Aprils a mom of twelve children. Her name is Ellen Creighton. Ellen works on a farm, her nine year old son Jethro helps her plant potato's for the summer. A sad part of this family is that four of the twelve children have died. She is tire every day she goes to Jethro when she needs help for something, she can always rely on her son Jethro. Jethro has had three siblings that have died from a desise. Jethro was lucky enought not to get it. The desises is called children Paralyisis.

His mom belives that jethro is a one of a kind child one sent from heaven to help her on the farm and day to day. They live in a bad area of war and fighting. the area is split up into two halves the North and the South. This story takes place during the american revolution. There was talk about Abraham lincons election of free states and slave states. A rebellion was on hands and a war was going to start.

I have begone reading the book The Alchemist it is about the legend of Narcissus. Narcissus sits by the lake in this legend he falls in to the lake and never surfaced again. The god of the forest came and turned the lake that Narcissus died into a lake of salty tears. the god was wondering why the lake choose him and the lake replied that is was interested in Narcissus eyes when they looked down at the river. The god feels very upset and betraied that the lake took Narcissus.

The down side to this book so far is that it is in third person. I don't normally read books that are in third person I mostly like first person books. Also, the whole back story with the legend and all can be very confusing at first but once you understand it the book becomes way clearer. You might half to look up what the back story is to get a better understanding of the book.