American Adventures: Joseph

Read the most by: boys and girls

1861--A Rumble of War When Joseph Byers tumbles down a steep riverbank and is almost drowned, he discovers a cave that becomes a refuge for him and his friends, Zachary and David. Here they can escape the bitter divisions in their small town of Branson Mills, Kentucky. The nation is on the brink of Civil War, and in Branson Mills, most people favor the South. But Joseph's new stepfather, Henry Byers, is an abolitionist, and his stand against slavery causes trouble for Joseph. His beloved father owned slaves, but even that doesn't keep him from being an outcast at school. As the tensions in Branson Mills grow, Joseph finds it harder to deny the rightness of his stepfather's views. Finally he is forced to choose which side he's on. This gripping page-turner, set during one of the most turbulent times in our nation's history, makes for a powerful American Adventure.