*FEATURE* Review - Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow, the Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart

 Juvenile Fiction

"December 19, 1777, Friday
I woke to sleet hitting the window and another sound I'd not heard before. A drumbeat. Papa came in from milking and said, "The soldiers are coming." ...Finally, through the gray, we saw them. Three officers on horseback led. We ran outside to cheer, but the men were quiet and thin. The sight of them took my breath away. "They have no shoes," Elisabeth whispered. We watched for several minutes as they passed by. We were unable to speak. Their footprints left blood in the snow. As I write this upstairs, my candle low and our room cold, I think I shall never again complain."

"My name is Abigail. This is my story....
Eleven year old Abigail Jane Stewart's life with her family is upended when Abby and her sisters are awakened by the unfamiliar sound of drums. General George Washington is leading the Continental soldiers into their winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The presence of the army forces the town to face the realities of the Revolutionary War, and sides must be chosen. Hardship is a constant companion for soldiers and citizens alike throughout the winter, and in her diary, Abby pieces together the beauty, pain, and blessings of this long revolutionary winter." 

 
Abigail Stewart is an eleven-year-old living with her parents Sarah and Edward, and sisters Elisabeth and Sally in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In early December 1777, her mother gives birth to her brother who they name John. A couple weeks later, the Continental Army arrive in Valley Forge, planning to spend the winter training. Abigail and her family are immediately struck by the sad state of the army. After the troops are situated, General George Washington begins renting the home of the Stewarts' friend Mrs. Hewes. 

Later, George Washington hires Abigail's mother as his laundress, increasing the family's workload. In late January, Abigail and her father travel to Philadelphia, where the British are stationed. Edward leaves upset when his brothers refuse to go to Valley Forge with him. Back home, Elisabeth gives her bounty shirt, in which she sewed her name, to a soldier. She is disappointed, however, since he is not handsome. George Washington's wife Martha arrives in February. 

Abigail visits the encampment with Martha. She is particularly affected by a young wife crying next to sick husband. Some weeks later, the Stewarts bring the woman, named Helen Kern to stay with them, after her husband dies. Helen, who is heavily pregnant, soon becomes very dear to the family. Meanwhile, Elisabeth develops a crush on a French interpreter, Pierre. She sews him a coat, which he gives to a dog. 

In April, Abigail's friend Lucy Smith goes missing. She writes to Abigail about her whereabouts, but swears her to secrecy. A few weeks later, Abigail can no longer stand Lucy's sad faces and simply tells them that she is safe. Meanwhile, Helen gives birth to a girl, Olivia. In late May, Elisabeth is visited by Ben Valentine, who received her first coat. Her opinion has changed as she finds herself wondering if he will write her back. In June, the Continental Army leaves, returning the quiet stillness to Valley Forge. 
-Scholastic

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