A Girl, Southern Honor, and the Civil War
In My Father's House is a historical novel set in Virginia before and during the Civil War. Written in semi-diary form, the story is told from the perspective of teen-ager Oscie Mason who is a step-daughter of Wilmer McLean. McLean's story is one of many strange but true stories from the Civil War. Wanting to escape the scourge of battle, McLean moves his family from Yorkshire Plantation (near Bull Run, the first large battle of the war fought in 1861) to Appomattox Court House; interestingly enough, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the McLean house in Appomattox Court House in April of 1865. P. G. T. Beauregard, Edward Porter Alexander, John Mosby, John Gordon, Ulysses S. Grant, Philip Sheridan, and Robert E. Lee are among the historical figures mentioned or featured in the story; in fact, in a conversation with Edward Porter Alexander, Oscie Mason learns about southern honor and its place in the Civil War. I especially liked how author Ann Rinaldi depicted the surrender of Lee to Grant in the final days of the war. This is a fast-paced and well-written novel that drew me in quickly and is ideal for middle or high school students. It is also ideal for teachers and their students in language arts/social studies block classes who are looking for a good and highly readable historical novel portraying the events leading up to and including the Civil War.