The Silent Witness

As an educator, I highly recommend this book because it is an age appropriate depiction of the effects of war on a very young child. It does not pretend to give an accurate description of the causes of the Civil War, nor is it meant to present picture perfect images of the players, events or artifacts - most children's book illustrations are not even close to accurate. This is the story of a family who tried unsuccessfully to flee warfare - the war broke out on their doorstep not once, but twice. First Wilmer McLean fled the Battle of Bull Run, finding safe haven many miles away in Appomattox Court House, only to have a battle break out there, 1/2 mile from his house, on the morning of the surrender. Historians have written extensively about the event..Wilmer McLean generously offered the family parlor to General Lee's aides as an appropriate place for General Grant to accept Lee's surrender, since the actual court house was closed for Palm Sunday. Little Lulu paid for that offer with her doll..which the soldiers cleverly dubbed "The Silent Witness." General Sheridan's aide, who "borrowed" the doll, brought it here to New York, and carefully preserved it until it was returned to the Appomattox in the early 1990s by the widow of the last surviving male Moore. I am also a free lance writer who writes extensively on antique and vintage dolls - and this is the story of a barely anthropomorphic rag doll that miraculously survived over 150 years BECAUSE it was a spoil of war. This is such a fascinating story that it is well worth the telling. We don't need to tell very young children that war, its causes and effects, are hell - they will have plenty of time in their lives to learn this, and about the horrors of slavery. This book is a gentle, age appropriate nudge toward those truths.

This book takes one story of the Civil War and puts it into a child's perspective. If you are a civil war buff, this book is perfect to share with your child or grandchild. The story is very well written, from a child's viewpoint, and the pictures are delightful. I bought this for my friend to share with his young granddaughter and they both thoroughly enjoyed the book. It prompted her to ask Grandpa more questions about a subject he loves to talk about! The book arrived in excellent condition. I highly recommend this book for folks who enjoy stories of this era to share with a special child.