The narrative unfolds in New Jersey on April 3 and 4, 1778. The Revolutionary War is underway, with American colonists battling for independence from Britain. Besides the British troops, the Americans also face the Hessians, German mercenaries hired by Britain. Small towns organize their own brigades, ready to join the fight when needed. Information spreads by word of mouth, and the ringing of church bells signals urgent news, summoning townspeople to the village squares.

The protagonist, Jonathan, resides on a modest farm near a village. His family includes his mother and younger siblings who remain at home, his father who has returned from battle with a leg injury, and an older brother still fighting. Jonathan and his father manage the farm without any animals, and to prepare the soil for planting, they must hoe it by hand.

Avi employs two literary techniques to establish the theme and tone of the novel: naming the chapters after specific times of day and referring to characters only by generic titles, such as "the young Hessian," "the Corporal," and "the old soldier." These methods highlight the alienation Jonathan feels during his wartime experience. By not giving names to any characters other than Jonathan, Avi underscores the impersonal nature of war. Individuals become mere tools with assigned roles; war strips them of their personal identities and their ability to form meaningful human connections. This approach is similar to what Stephen Crane does in his nineteenth-century novel, The Red Badge of Courage, often regarded as the first modern war novel. In Crane's work, the main characters are referred to as "the youth," "the tall soldier," and "the loud soldier." Like Jonathan, Crane's protagonist is a young man who initially sees war as a grand adventure, only to become disillusioned.

Jonathan's sense of isolation teaches him the true nature of fear. Avi conveys Jonathan's fear by naming chapters after precise times of day. As Jonathan grapples with the uncertainty of surviving from one moment to the next, he becomes intensely conscious of time, which pulses like his heartbeat. For most of his life, time has offered a continuous stream of experiences, giving him an idea of what each new day would bring. Now, unable to predict even the next moment, he can no longer take time or his life for granted.

The language barrier between Jonathan and the Hessians further contributes to his feelings of uncertainty and isolation. Readers, who understand the Hessians' dialogue, gain more insight into the situation than Jonathan. This is an example of dramatic irony, a literary technique that Avi uses to show that the reality of war is much more complex than Jonathan initially perceives. Jonathan's judgments are based on the assumption that he is engaged in a simple battle between good and evil.

The Fighting Ground focuses on themes that highlight the innocence of unseasoned soldiers, rather than examining the ethics of war. Jonathan romanticizes war, in contrast to his father, who has been injured and dreads it. Avi conveys that war is fundamentally a personal experience, with individuals bearing its repercussions. Even in the context of the Revolutionary War, which many American readers view as a righteous endeavor, there is no glory—only the harsh truth of mortality.

Holtze, Sally Holmes, editor. Fifth Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1983. Includes an autobiographical sketch of Avi.