The Silent Witness (Paperback)

~ (Author), Claire A. Nivola (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: President Lincoln, Civil War, General Beauregard

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–Lula McLean lived on a plantation in Virginia, near Bull Run Creek, with her family and her beloved rag doll. When she was four years old, the Civil War began. General Beauregard moved into her house, using it as his headquarters, and the peaceful fields were turned into a military camp. That summer, when the fighting drew too close, Lula's father relocated the family to the town of Appomattox Court House. On April 9, 1865, General Lee and General Grant met in the McLean home to negotiate the surrender of the Confederacy. Lula was playing in the parlor when the men arrived, and she "fled the room, leaving her rag doll on the horsehair sofa." Soldiers called it "the silent witness." Although Lula never saw her doll again, it still exists and is now on display at the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park. Friedman's economical text clearly shows how the Civil War touched the life of a young child. The watercolor-and-gauche illustrations and folk-art style add a sense of comfort to the turmoil and destruction of the war. An author's note provides historical details about the story.– Rebecca Sheridan, Easttown Library & Information Center, Berwyn, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Friedman's economical text clearly shows how the Civil War touched the life of a young child. The watercolor-and-gauche illustrations and folk-art style add a sense of comfort to the turmoil and destruction of the war."

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (June 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547014368
• ISBN-13: 978-0547014364
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,153,719 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing and Subtly Biased, August 24, 2009

By	Evil Kumquat (Angola, IN USA) - See all my reviews

I find myself very disturbed by "The Silent Witness: A True Story of the Civil War", by Robin Friedman and illustrated by Claire A. Nivola. This is a book my daughter brought home from school last term which tells the story of a little girl named Lula McLean, her beloved rag doll and their experiences living in Virginia during the Civil War. The climax of the story involves the house Lula's father, Wilmer McLean, purchased after the start of the war. This house, located in Appomattox Court House, hosted Lee's surrender to Grant. Lula's rag doll, left in the room where the surrender was signed, became a "Silent Witness" to the historical event.

The book starts with Lula living in Virginia, a slave state that seceded from the Union a few days after the Confederacy fired on our Fort Sumter. The illustration accompanying the text shows a vast, rolling plantation of wheat, corn and oats. What the illustration fails to show, however, are those doing the actual work making the grounds look so appealing. If one squints, a few little black human-shaped dots are in the fields, along with what could be a horsed overseer watching over them. In the foreground is little Lula, enjoying the bright, spring day while other little girls her age are living nearby, raised in bondage and in constant danger of being separated from their parents and sold at auction.

In fact, Friedman mentions slavery only once in "The Silent Witness", and without doing more than describing it as a "main disagreement" between the North and the South, with the former wanting to abolish it and the latter wanting to "preserve its way of life" (even if that way of life involved the brutal suppression of an entire race of people).

Eventually, after a battle occurred close enough that a cannonball hit their kitchen, Lula's father moved the family to Appomattox Court House, hoping that 150 miles was far enough from the war. In one illustration, Lula is shown decorating her new house for Christmas and HOLY COW THERE'S A SLAVE! Nivola actually dared to show one of the family's involuntary servants glumly pushing a broom outside of the room where Lula and her baby sister are enjoying themselves. This is the only time a slave is shown as more than just a tiny brown blob in the background.

The most egregious example of distorted writing (and illustrating) appears in this passage:

On April 9, 1865, Lula was playing with her rag doll in the parlor.
General Lee, towering at nearly six feet tall, arrived in a spotless uniform, sash, sword, and shined boots.
General Grant arrived half an hour later wearing a slouch hat, common soldier's coat, and muddy boots.
Lula fled the room, leaving her rag doll on the horsehair sofa.

Doesn't this just paint the prettiest picture of the noble (and tall) General Lee, punctual and with proper military bearing, showing due respect for the occasion by wearing full military dress appropriate to his position. Much better than that short slob, General Grant, who showed up late, wearing ratty "common" clothes and without even having the courtesy to wipe his feet before tracking grime all over the McLean's nice rug in the parlor.

The best part, though, is the accompanying illustration. The two generals are shaking hands and Lee is clearly a full head taller than Grant, whose eyes are level with the former's chest. Online research shows that Lee was indeed taller than Grant, with the Confederate general towering at a Goliath-like 5'10", and the Union general cowering at a dwarfish 5'8".

That's right. In real life, Lee was two inches taller than Grant. Some accounts put Lee's height at an even six feet, and if correct, would still not put him that much taller than Grant.

I must also add that the illustrator must not have done much research, because the doll she drew looks nothing like the one preserved in the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

I hope this criticism is viewed as more justified than those self-righteous parent groups who crusade to get certain television shows cancelled because they are too stupid to simply turn off the offensive material when it airs. This is a book marketed to children at an age when they are unlikely to understand what the Civil War was, let alone its causes. The worst bias is subtle bias, and "The Silent Witness" is full of it, all the worse for the age group it targets.

Frankly, I was so certain the author had to be from one of the Confederate states that it came as a shock to learn she was born in Israel and educated in New Jersey. I was even more surprised to read all the glowing reviews, including one by the New York Times, which described the tale as "thoughtful" and the illustrations conveying "the experience of living in a civil war with haunting power."

I was also amazed to discover no criticism of "The Silent Witness" anywhere online, and absolutely everything is available online when I put my mind to it.

Hopefully the above will be around the next time someone is disturbed by this book and wonders if anyone else felt the same way.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent civil war story for children., August 8, 2006

By	Gramma J. (Coralville, IA. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Silent Witness (Hardcover)

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.