Librarian Lays Down the Law

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My Review of Who Comes with Cannons by Patricia Beatty

This semester I am taking a Children and YA literature class. We are currently doing book analysis on titles in the historical fiction genre. I chose this book, Who Comes with Cannons, because its background historical event is the American Civil War (my personal favorite war) Yes I said that. Im a total history nerd, and historical fiction is my second favorite genre, over historical biographies and non-fiction titles. Historical fiction novels, especially juvenille titles, have to find a way to make history come alive, while trying to tell a good story. Often children, did not care for history as a subject because of the infamously boring history textbooks. They focus too much on facts and not enough on quality in my opinion. Below is my review of the book about a 12-year old Quaker girl sent to live with relatives in the South, in the year 186l. The first year of the Civil War.


Beatty, Patricia. Who Comes with Cannons? New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1992 ages 8-12.

Summary: In 1861, Truth Hopkins, a 12-year-old Quaker from Indiana, moves in with her Uncle and his family in North Carolina after her father's death. She discovers that her new home is a station on the underground railroad. With the start of the Civil War, Truth and the lives of her new family is never the same. They witness firsthand the horrors of war, but come to understand the true meaning of giving and the importance of family.

Analysis:Beatty stays true to the genre, and follows the guildlines of good historical fiction novels outlined in the textbook. First, she has the protagonist is a young girl faced with obstacles she must overcome in a setting set before her time. It is clear, however, that she did the necessary research on the Quakers. At the end of the book, in the author's notes, she describes their origins, customs, and beliefs. She does this also several times during the story. Truth and her family would attend "First Day" meetings at a meeting house, where members or "friends" would seek out the "inner light" of God. When someone (and it could be anyone: man, woman or child) chose to speak they could, expressing what God had put on their hearts to say from their inner light. Because the Quakers did not condone slavery and help escaped slaves to freedom, they were treated often badly by their slave owning neighbors. In the story, at one point, Truth's male cousins were beat up, because their neighbors believed the Bardwells where "stealing" property {slaves}. Quakers are also pacifists and do not believe in fighting. Truth's cousins are captured by Confederacy forces before the first battle of the Civil War at Manassas Junction (Bull Run) and force to stand out front, in the hopes they would be killed. Some confederate solders referred to Quakers as "cannon fodder." (pg. 68) Thus she does not sugar-coat the realities of the time. She describes the locations of she discusses in the book, and how they are related to the events of the Civil War. At the end of the story, Truth is trapped at her cousin's wife house in Bentonville, because of the battle of Bentonville. The only Civil War battle to take place in North Carolina in 1865.

Potential Use: As with all historical fiction novels, the highlighted historical event or setting can be used in a social studies or history class of older children. In the case of this book, the American Civil War is the background and Beatty provides a plethora of information about it including, how battles would start, what weapons were used, how men were drafted into the war, the outcomes of important battles (such as Gettysburg), how the war affected those on the homefront, and so on. Beatty also discusses at length, the way of life of the "Society of Friends" since the protagonist of the story is a Quaker.

Readers Appeal: Children will admire the bravery of Truth in the story. She goes above and beyond to save the life of a family member. For children, whose families are important to them, they will be able to relate to this story. They will also be able to have the Civil War seem more personal to them, in compassion to how it is described in textbooks. Thus, they may come away with a better appreciation of the past.

Value-added information: Patricia Beatty and her husband author John Beatty (both now deceased) were great admirers of the history of the state of California. A "John and Patricia Beatty" award is given annually to a book that most depicts awareness of California and its people.

Review excerpts: "The late Beatty— dramatizing the Quakers' courage in opposing slavery, staying out of the war, and enduring harassment while their men and property were conscripted by armies on both—gives a new perspective on what it meant to be an active, dissenting minority amid the strong feelings on both sides of this bitter conflict." Kirkus Review. October 15, 1992.