Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

1. Do you like Hunt's use of letters to tell parts of the story? Why or why not? What might be the effect of relating these incidents directly?

2. If you were in Jethro's place, what would you do when you discovered Eb hiding in the woods?

3. Do you think that war is glorious and exciting? Why or why not? Has your opinion been influenced by reading Across Five Aprils?

4. Is the U.S. still suffering from the effects of the Civil War? In what ways?

5. Do you think the post-war period would have been any different if Abraham Lincoln had lived? Why or why not?

6. What are the "high tariffs" that contributed to the South's decision to secede?