LIKE A RIVER, by Kathy Cannon Wiechman

The story: Leander goes to fight in the Union Army to prove to his family that he's a man now. Polly just doesn't want her father to leave her behind--so she joins up too, disguised as a boy. The two meet when Leander and Mr. Settles are wounded and end up in the hospital, where "Paul" helps take care of both of them. Their separate adventures take them through loss of life, limb, and freedom--how will they ever become whole again?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG; magic & the occult G; substance abuse PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (war, bloodshed, disease, prison) PG-13; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's a quiet story with telling glimpses into the hardship and heartbreak that characterized the U.S. Civil War--a true look at war in general as a microcosm of fear, disease, and little guys ending up dead because the big dguys have chosen poorly. Too bad most teen readers aren't looking for this kind of tale...maybe we'd be less likely to end up with history repeating itself.