1. Do you appreciate Hunt's use of letters to convey parts of the narrative? Why or why not? What might be the impact of presenting these events directly?

2. If you were in Jethro's position, how would you react upon discovering Eb hiding in the forest?

3. Do you believe that war is glorious and thrilling? Why or why not? Has your perspective been changed by reading Across Five Aprils?

4. Is the United States still experiencing the repercussions of the Civil War? In what ways?

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

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