From School Library Journal:
Grade 6-9. Solomon Hargreave, a scout and map sketch artist for the Eighth New York Calvary Regiment, falls in love with Mahalia, a girl his age whom he saves from drowning. He is encouraged by his superiors to drop in on her family as often as possible to get information about her brother Corbin, either the leader of the Loudon County Scouts, who rode against the Yankees, or dead. When he happens to encounter the raiders, Solomon gets a glimpse of Corbin?and realizes that it's Mahalia dressed as her sibling and riding in his place. Solomon has little time to address this unhappy situation with Mahalia since General Lee is engaging the Yankees in battle at Harpers Ferry. He confronts her; it turns out that many of his assumptions, and readers', about the girl and her family have been incorrect. A few historical photos set the scene; the action and the dialogue keep the story moving briskly; and both female and male characters defy stereotype and surprise readers. While the full-page, black-and-white drawings are somewhat static, the book is entertaining and instructive at the same time and, despite a cover and title that don't do it much justice, is a surefire hit for historical fiction fans.?Susan F. Marcus, Pollard Middle School, Needham, MA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist:
Gr. 6^-8. Stationed with the Eighth New York Cavalry Regiment at Harpers Ferry, 17-year-old Solomon dives to the rescue of a young woman who has thrown herself into the swift, cold waters of the Potomac River. Far from grateful, young Mahalia turns on the embarrassed hero in anger, but he gradually earns her trust and learns some of her family's dangerous secrets. Set on the border of North and South during the Civil War, this novel conveys the strain of divided families, misguided loyalties, and the hardscrabble existence of that period. The love interest is apparent, but it never becomes sappy or supersedes the action and adventure. A few sketches and period photographs illustrate the text of this readable, first-person novel. Carolyn Phelan
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