Carol Matas. The War Within. Ontario: Scholastic, 2001.
Genre: Young Adult - Historical Fiction
The story is set in Holly Springs, a Southern town in America during the Civil War. Hannah Green tells her story from December 26, 1862 to January 15, 1863 in a diary form.
Hannah is 13 years old living in a Southern lady style. All she cares about is how to transform herself from a girl to a lady. She gets used to be looked after by her servants (slaves) and she believes that slavery is normal. She is furious ever since the Union army occupies her home town because she thinks the war interfere their rights.
Her life changes when General Grant orders all the Jews to evacuate from his territory and follow the Union army to Memphis. During their harsh journey, Hannah and her family encounter unfair discrimination because they are Jews. She also gets very sick and is nursed by a union soldier and her slave. All these events give Hannah a different perspective about the war and make her rethink about her belief on slavery and human equality.
Matas introduces a number of conflicts in the plot: Northern states and Southern States, Slaves and Masters, Jews and non-Jews, Negros and Whites, Hannah and her sister Joanna who is in love with a Union solder. And last but not the least, the conflicts Hannah battling internally herself.
Very often we have a wrong belief or perception on something and we don’t even realize. As in the case of Hannah, since she grows up being served by slaves, she does not think that slavery is something unjustified. However, she is able to keep her mind open and have the courage to admit her own fault.
I enjoyed this book. It is such a fast and easy read.
