How I Found the Strong by Margaret McMullan

This book is a novel that is true during the Civil War in the United States. It takes place in Mississippi where the war took harsh measures. In this book, we find a family of two boys, and a father, mother, & grandfather. The older brother gets killed in the War, & the Dad is wounded badly, but makes it home. The grandfather leaves the house one day without a trace, & never returns. This leave the son, and the black slave to do the chores on the farm.

This book reminded me of the hardships of families left behind to survive, while the father's, & brothers fought a difficult war . Their was no T.V. coverage, or computer's to send E-mails to the family members. So familes at home had to be strong in their faith, & believe their men at war would return. The Mother of the house made due with what was able to eat. The mother got potato skins, and made soup with it that was hardly edible. They made their shoes out of burlap so as not to go barefoot. The mattresses of their beds were corn husks, and that was comfortable to the family.

The living conditions during that era were very difficult to many families. But people during the Civil War made due with what they had, and went on with their lives. Life of course was not for fame, and fortune but survival was the people's focus.


L.D.