This novel, the first of the trilogy, is the story of Parson Sykes, the curiously enslaved teenager protagonist, whose historic self-liberation is followed by his enlistment in the Union Army. The story takes place in Southampton County, near the end of the American Civil War, on the farm of slave-holding Jacob Williams, the antagonist. During the 1831 Southampton Insurrection, the farm came under attack by Nat Turner and his insurgents, which still haunts Jacob. In the book, Parson and Ja...

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation.The Civil War: 1860–1865