Abrahams Battle: Novel of Gettysburg a

This flimsy Civil War novel offers two views of the decisive three-day battle of Gettysburg: one through Abraham, a former slave living in the Pennsylvania town, and the other through 16-year-old Lamar, a Confederate soldier. As troops from both sides rally, Abraham and Lamar meet by chance in a field. Supposedly due to their shared Southern heritage, these two enemies put aside their loyalties to discuss their homes, the Underground Railroad and their views on slavery. However, their dialogue is contrived to establish skeletal facts about the war rather than to reveal much about either man's character (at one point Lamar says, ""Tell you the truth, I never pondered much on slavery""). Disheartened by Lamar's vague reasons for fighting, Abraham determines he must act on his own convictions and volunteers himself and his mule, Charity, to drive an ambulance (predictably, he ends up finding a wounded Lamar). Vivid descriptions of nature evoke the beauty of the land and the pregnant pause before imminent conflict. The strongest episode occurs in the final chapter when President Lincoln arrives to dedicate the Gettysburg battlefield as a national cemetery (his famous address is reprinted here in its entirety). Readers may gain a new understanding of the enduring legacy of Lincoln's concise and illustrious words, but will likely forget these disappointingly thin and archetypal characters. Ages 9-13. (Apr.)