Death on the River
Although he has survived the Civil War battlefield, eighteen-year-old Jake is not sure he can survive Andersonville prison. Not only does he has to worry about the cruelty of his Confederate jailers, but some of his fellow prisoners, seeking to improve their own conditions, demonstrate similar savagery towards weaker inmates. One of the most powerful prisoners is Billy Sharp, and although Jake feels very guilty about it, he agrees to work for Billy, mostly to avoid becoming one of Billy’s victims himself. As the war comes to an end, Billy makes it clear that he expects to continue their association once they are out of prison. After all that Jake has seen, however, will he finally find the courage to break away from Billy for good? The Kirkus review calls this a ”riveting look at the Civil War”, and says that the story has the power to ”shock and compel readers’ interest, while uncovering exciting history.”
