Why does it matter that she wrote it in 1965? Oh, just because of a little ol' thing called the Vietnam War. Not in 1861 and not to readers from 1965 onward. In short, Hunt makes sure that absolutely nothing positive comes from the war. Hunt has enthusiastic characters turn disillusioned (Tom and Eb) and an enamored soldier go from writing love letters to writing "I'm probably going to die" letters (Shad). Stories told by her grandfather actually inspired Hunt to write Across Five Aprils, which is explicitly anti-war. Throughout four years of fighting, we witness the hardships the family must endure, including (but not limited to) sons fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War, neighborhood bullies, and the entire farm workload falling on young Jethro's shoulders. The story is focused on the Creighton family of southern Illinois, and particularly Jethro, the youngest son in the family. Pretty sweet to get a Newbery Honor straight out the gate, right? In other words, it's got some serious staying power.Īnd get this: Across Five Aprils was Hunt's debut novel.
This book has been making the rounds at library Circulation Desks since 1965, which is also when it picked up the only Newbery Honor given that year. Bake for 4-5 years and there you have it: Irene Hunt's Across Five Aprils. Take one Civil War drama, add a heap of family conflict, and mix vigorously with an abundance of death and tension in the community.
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