A Nation Torn: The Story of How the Civil War Began

A Nation Torn gives readers a solid background to the animosity between the North and the South. The text is interesting, the illustrations (often primary documents) capitivating, and the storyline illuminating. By giving details on the people involved, Ray helps readers understand the emotions driving the key players. As homeschoolers, we appreciated the sequential events. She did a particurally good job of tying in the importance of the Western Territories. Many of the illustrations are primary documents. My seven year old was blown away by the newpaper illustration depicting the caning of Senator Sumpter. The cruelty of slavery really hit home when we came to the picture of a slave whose back was scarred from whipping. Ray does a good job presenting a balanced view. She did a good job of making my son understand why Southerners believed in and justified the need for slaves. Unlike some books about this period, Southerns were not depicted as heartless. It is a well written book. Wonderful illustrations and high interest stories made this our favorite book for researching the story behind the Civil War. We checked it out of the library twice before we decided that this one was simply worth purchasing!