Bull Run

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What to expect

Sixteen voices—not the heroes, not those who would become eulogized in history books and synonymous with the glory of war. No, these are the voices of the common soldiers and their leaders, their families, their comrades. North/South, white/black, adult/child—a disparate and compelling choir of voices. Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman has written a tour de force that lends itself perfectly to multivoiced narration. From eager eleven-year-old Toby Boyce to Colonel Oliver Brattle, who has seen it all and knows the true face of war, these many voices are skillfully woven together—creating an intimate tapestry of naïveté, broken dreams, and carnage that transports the listener to the front lines of the Battle of Bull Run. Paul Fleischman makes an appearance as the voice of James Dacy and concludes this unique production with a personal author’s note—allowing us to glimpse into his beginnings as a writer, as well as how Bull Run came to be written.

Critics Review

  • “Fleischman creates stories of deceptively simple design…that resonate with grace and beauty. His distinctive style has seldom been more effective than in this powerful and poignant account of the first major battle of the Civil War…The novel relies on individual voices to give a human face to history. The result is at once intimate and sweeping, a heartbreaking and remarkably vivid portrait of a war that remains our nation’s bloodiest conflict…This is a tour de force that should not be missed.”

    Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  • “Through the alternating viewpoints of sixteen characters from various walks of life, readers gain insight into the first battle of the Civil War and into the nature of war in general. Poignant, dramatic cameos seamlessly woven together make for compelling historical fiction.”

    School Library Journal

  • “A superb symphony of twelve voices will both delight and move the listener in this marriage of evocative text and remarkable characterizations…The occasional crack of gunfire or lyric of a Civil War melody dresses up the compelling reading…[A] remarkable book.”

    AudioFile

  • “Together the eight fictional accounts from Southerners and the eight from Northerners tell a whole story of pain, loyalty, and disillusionment. This unforgettable lesson encourages youngsters to approach a situation with the knowledge that there are more than two sides to each story; there are as many accounts as there are witnesses. This book will provide insight as well as fine material for student drama.”

    Children's Literature

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