My Vicksburg [Hardcover]

Ann Rinaldi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2009

Claire Louise Corbett and her Confederate family flee their home as Union soldiers shell their town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. They venture out from the safety of a cave only three times a day, when the Union army takes their meals at eight in the morning, noon, and eight at night. Although many of the townspeople suffer from a lack of food, the Corbetts receive extra rations from Claire Louise's brother, Landon, a doctor with the Union army. When Claire Louise discovers her brother tending to a Confederate soldier who is responsible for Robert E. Lee's "lost order" (causing the South to lose the Battle of Antietam), she is forced to make a difficult choice between family and friends.
Award-winning historical novelist Ann Rinaldi paints a story of family, courage, and secrets during the forty-seven-day siege of Vicksburg, a battle that has sometimes been ignored in history because it ended the same day as the Battle of Gettysburg.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–It's 1863 in Vicksburg, MS, and 13-year-old Claire Louise Corbett and her well-to-do family flee their comfortable home for the safety of a cave as Union soldiers shell the town. On one of Claire's infrequent trips outside, she comes upon her older brother, Landon (a doctor in the Union army), tending to Robert, a wounded Confederate soldier. Claire befriends Robert and learns that he is responsible for misplacing an order issued by General Lee, causing the South to lose the battle of Antietam. Her brother feels honor-bound to turn Robert over to the authorities, and Claire is torn between letting Landon do so and somehow helping Robert escape. This choice weighs heavily on her mind and almost ruins her relationship with Landon, but in the end, all turns out well. Though readers will find the idea of living in a cave fascinating, Rinaldi focuses more on the protagonist's heroism and her difficult decision. Claire comes across as a strong-willed individual who is not afraid to think for herself. A good choice for fans of historical fiction, particularly the Civil War era.–Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA
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From Booklist

As Union forces approach Vicksburg in May 1863, 13-year-old Claire Louise and her family, like others, move into a cave to wait out the siege. Her father serves the Confederacy as a doctor, and her elder brother Landon, recently graduated from medical school, is also serving nearby, treating Union soldiers. Landon’s crisis of conscience—whether to protect a wanted Confederate—precipitates the story’s main conflict. In the novel, the siege seems to pass quickly and, given that the family was living in a cave, it’s surprising not to find more details of the unusual setting. But the family members are vividly portrayed individuals and their relationships are particularly well drawn. An epilogue, an author’s note, and a bibliography conclude this thoroughly researched and enjoyable historical novel. Readers intrigued by the story may also want to read Andrea Warren’s Under Siege: Three Children at the Civil War Battle for Vicksburg (2009). Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (May 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152066241
• ISBN-13: 978-0152066246
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ANN RINALDI is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. A self-made writer and newspaper columnist for twenty-one years, Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An okay read, but not among the author's best., April 27, 2009

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Vicksburg (Hardcover)

Thirteen-year-old Claire Louise Corbet, living in Vicksburg, Mississippi in the spring of 1863, struggles with the many changes the Civil War has brought to her family and her life. Her beloved older brother Landon, has joined the Union Army as a doctor, leaving the Corbet family with divided loyalties - they still love him, but support the Confederate cause. Her father, also a doctor, has joined the Confederate Army. And when Vicksburg comes under siege by the Union Army, Claire Louise, her little brother James, their mother, and their household servants must leave their comfortable house to live in a cave.

Soon after, Claire Louise finds her loyalties further divided. Her brother, whom she hasn't seen in many months, has returned to Vicksburg to care for wounded soldiers. He brings with him Robert, a wounded Confederate soldier. Landon confides in Claire Louise that Robert is a Confederate officer that was responsible for an order from General Lee that fell into Union hands, leading to a terrible Confederate defeat. Though Robert insists the order was lost accidentally, Landon feels compelled to turn him in. Now Claire Louise is forced to choose between her brother and helping Robert, which she feels is right in her heart.

I have loved most of the books I've read by Ann Rinaldi, so I really wanted to like this one as well. But in the end, I thought it was just okay, and nothing more. For starters, it was really at least a bit too short, and was missing a lot of backstory and explanation - why did Landon join the Union Army? Why was he so readily accepted back in Vicksburg after betraying his Confederate neighbors to help the enemy? The character of Claire Louise herself was inconsistent at times as well, sometimes acting very immature for her age and other times making adult decisions. My Vicksburg isn't a terrible book - it's a quick, pleasant enough read. Readers who already love Ann Rinaldi's books will likely find it an enjoyable enough way to spend a couple of hours. But for those readers looking for a really good novel about the Civil War, or who are new to this author's books, there are much better books out there, including several others about the Civil War by Ann Rinaldi herself that I thought were much better than this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling, Dramatic Tale From United States History, June 3, 2009

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Vicksburg (Hardcover)

During the Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which lasts for 47 days, the Union Army with General Ulysses S. Grant lays siege to the town, while residents live in caves. Thirteen-year-old Claire Louise Corbett is the daughter of a strict doctor and Confederate officer, but is also the sister of a doctor and Union officer.

Life is confusing at best, as Claire Louise, her mother, her five-year-old brother and some servants begin living in a cave near her house. But it seems very far from her elegant Southern home with wallpaper sent from England. Understandably, there are moments when she cannot stand life in the cave. The shelling of the cannons stops for only three hours each day, and Claire Louise uses these opportunities to escape for walks and collect blackberries. During one of these trips, she comes across her Union brother Landon, along with his Confederate friend Robert.

Robert is ill, and Landon has been taking care of him. But Robert is wanted by both sides for his involvement in a previous battle. Claire Louise knows that Landon's honor will make him choose to turn Robert in, but is also aware that she is likely the only person who can help the young man escape with his life.

Claire Louise has always been close to Landon, helping him with patients and going to him when her father was too strict with her. She knows this will put her at odds with him, maybe forever. But in her eyes, Robert deserves a chance, and she determines to help him. For her and for Robert, it is a life and death decision.

She does what she feels she must do and faces harsh consequences as a result. The situation forces her to grow up, but it also helps her better understand her father and her older brother.

Award-winning author Ann Rinaldi brings readers right into the Civil War with her well-crafted historical setting and offers flawed but lovable characters. Claire Louise and Landon both make some mistakes in the midst of a terrible situation. Does she do the right thing? What happens after the war? Rinaldi invites readers to decide and predict for themselves in this compelling, dramatic tale from United States history.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio