Across Five Aprils
Encyclopedia
Across Five Aprils is a novel
by Irene Hunt
, set in the Civil War
era. Jethro Creighton, the main character, was Irene Hunt's real grandfather. He told her the stories, and she incorporated them into Across Five Aprils.
farm just before the Civil War
. He has always been a hard worker, and he is busily tending his family's farm. However, when his schoolmaster and good friend, Shadrach Yale, returns from town with the news that the war has begun, Jethro’s world is turned upside-down.
Jethro has three brothers, Bill, John and Tom, and his cousin Eb, most of them eager to join the fight. Jethro must struggle with the split between them, as three join the Union Army
but Bill joins the Confederacy
. Later on, Jethro's good friend and sister Jenny's boyfriend, Shad also joins the Union Army. John's wife Nancy and their two young sons live with the Creightons during the war. Jenny is in love with Shad, but her father will not approve of the marriage
because he thinks she is too young.
As the war heats up, so do the tensions among the townspeople around Jethro. A gang of men led by Guy Wortman are angered by the fact that one of Jethro’s brothers, Bill, joined the Confederate
cause. Eventually, Jethro's father suffers from a heart attack, leaving Jethro with the task of becoming the man of the house. The spotlight is set on the hardships of war, and Jethro's family.
One day Jethro travels to Newton, and, while shopping, overhears the men talking about how evil his brother is. Though Jethro is frightened by the men, he thinks nothing of it. While Jethro is riding back, however, he is warned that the men are up to no good. A man whose name is Dave Burdow, whose son is Travis Burdow, who had been involved in Jethro's sister Mary's murder prior to the events of the story, ends up saving Jethro's life and driving the troublemakers off. However, the trouble is far from over.
After a few months, the men are at it again. They sabotage the family’s property by burning down the family's barn and contaminating the water in the well. Jethro is given little time to concentrate on this when he finds out that his brother Tom was killed and that cousin Eb left the Union Army. He now must face the hard decision of whether or not he should help his cousin. He writes a letter to President Lincoln for help and begins to look up to him as a father during the crisis. President Lincoln replies, telling him that he is already working on a program to accept all willing deserters back into the Union with little punishment.
Soon after, the family learns that Shad has been wounded and is staying in a hospital, being taken care of by his aunt. Jenny goes to take care of him, and after finally receiving her father's blessing, she and Shad get married. Shad gets better, the war ends, and he, Jenny,Shadrach,John, and Eb return to the Creighton farm. However, at the end of the war, just when his family is reunited safely, Jethro learns that the president has been shot. After running off, Shad finds him and tells him that he and Jenny are going to college, and that they will take Jethro with them. It is in these turbulent times that Jethro has grown from an innocent boy to an intelligent man.
1964- Charles W. Follett Award
1965- Newbery Honor
1965- Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1965- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Irene Hunt
Irene Hunt
Irene Hunt was born to Franklin P. and Sarah Land Hunt on May 18, 1907 in Pontiac, Illinois. The family soon moved to Newton, Illinois, but Franklin died when Hunt was only seven, and the family moved again to be close to Hunt's grandparents...
, set in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era. Jethro Creighton, the main character, was Irene Hunt's real grandfather. He told her the stories, and she incorporated them into Across Five Aprils.
Plot summary
In the beginning of the story, Jethro Creighton lives on an IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
farm just before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He has always been a hard worker, and he is busily tending his family's farm. However, when his schoolmaster and good friend, Shadrach Yale, returns from town with the news that the war has begun, Jethro’s world is turned upside-down.
Jethro has three brothers, Bill, John and Tom, and his cousin Eb, most of them eager to join the fight. Jethro must struggle with the split between them, as three join the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
but Bill joins the Confederacy
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. Later on, Jethro's good friend and sister Jenny's boyfriend, Shad also joins the Union Army. John's wife Nancy and their two young sons live with the Creightons during the war. Jenny is in love with Shad, but her father will not approve of the marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
because he thinks she is too young.
As the war heats up, so do the tensions among the townspeople around Jethro. A gang of men led by Guy Wortman are angered by the fact that one of Jethro’s brothers, Bill, joined the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cause. Eventually, Jethro's father suffers from a heart attack, leaving Jethro with the task of becoming the man of the house. The spotlight is set on the hardships of war, and Jethro's family.
One day Jethro travels to Newton, and, while shopping, overhears the men talking about how evil his brother is. Though Jethro is frightened by the men, he thinks nothing of it. While Jethro is riding back, however, he is warned that the men are up to no good. A man whose name is Dave Burdow, whose son is Travis Burdow, who had been involved in Jethro's sister Mary's murder prior to the events of the story, ends up saving Jethro's life and driving the troublemakers off. However, the trouble is far from over.
After a few months, the men are at it again. They sabotage the family’s property by burning down the family's barn and contaminating the water in the well. Jethro is given little time to concentrate on this when he finds out that his brother Tom was killed and that cousin Eb left the Union Army. He now must face the hard decision of whether or not he should help his cousin. He writes a letter to President Lincoln for help and begins to look up to him as a father during the crisis. President Lincoln replies, telling him that he is already working on a program to accept all willing deserters back into the Union with little punishment.
Soon after, the family learns that Shad has been wounded and is staying in a hospital, being taken care of by his aunt. Jenny goes to take care of him, and after finally receiving her father's blessing, she and Shad get married. Shad gets better, the war ends, and he, Jenny,Shadrach,John, and Eb return to the Creighton farm. However, at the end of the war, just when his family is reunited safely, Jethro learns that the president has been shot. After running off, Shad finds him and tells him that he and Jenny are going to college, and that they will take Jethro with them. It is in these turbulent times that Jethro has grown from an innocent boy to an intelligent man.
Awards and nominations
Across Five Aprils won the most awards of all of Irene Hunt's books. The awards are:1964- Charles W. Follett Award
1965- Newbery Honor
1965- Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was started in 1958 by Dr. David C. Davis with the assistance of Prof. Lola Pierstorff, Director Instructional Materials Center, Univ. of Wisconsin and Madeline Allen Davis, WHA Wisconsin Public Radio. Awards were presented annually at the Wisconsin Book Conference...
1965- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award is an annual award for new American children's books, given in Vermont and named after Vermont author Dorothy Canfield Fisher. The winning book is chosen by the vote of Vermont schoolchildren....