Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Ocean of Fire by Neill T. Anderson - ADVISABLE

Anderson, T. Neill Ocean of Fire, NON-FICTION 164 pgs. MTM Publishing, Inc., 2014. $16.95. Language PG; Mature Content: PG; Violence PG.


Residents of Columbia, South Carolina are bracing for the Yankee army’s approach.  Both Confederate and Union armies loot the town: the Confederates on their way out and the Union army on their way in.  There is a perfect storm of disaster in the making as the streets are stacked with cotton, drunken soldiers, and a stiff wind.  The city erupts into an inferno.  The narrative is told through different historical characters, including 17 year-old Emma LeConte, whose father and uncle are trying to get scientific equipment out of the city and the hands of the Yankees.  

Though this is based on a true story, the language and description of war is toned down for YA audiences.  The most brutal descriptions are of the hospital and the evacuation of the injured soldiers as fire approaches.  Anderson does a good job of making history come alive through his portrayal of horrific historical events


EL/MS/HS-ADVISABLE.  Michelle in the Middle

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