Amidst the time of the American Civil War, one extended family is facing the trials of being split between the two sides of the conflict. Jonathan Berkeley is a twelve-year-old runaway who has followed his deceased father and joined a Confederate brigade, only he has found his father's gravestone which has marked his father as a coward and deserter. His step-uncle, Alexander Wythe, is an abolitionist lawyer and captain on a Union brigade, who is working through grief and a crisis of faith upon learning of the death of his wife caused from injuries received during the 1862 Dakota Conflict in Minnesota. They represent two of a small group of connected characters whose lives are upended by the battles and moral conflicts of a civil war. Despite its short 220 pages, this novel proved to be a very complex and intricate tale that in its own way challenges readers to explore the loss of faith and personal questioning of purpose that arise in such a conflict. However, I felt the multiple intertwined stories, which had moments of confusion in the timeline, might have been deeper, taking its time to allow character motivation to be clearer. Still, the historical drama was very interesting and thought-provoking in its telling. ( )

This book is simply all over the place, both geographically and in terms of narrative. Is Alexander's wife Amanda dead or isn't she? One can't quite tell from one page to the next. How do the characters move so rapidly from one location to another? In the nineteenth century, it would have been quite literally impossible. Why do they need to change scenery so often anyway? Most of the dialogue and events that concern the main characters could have been concentrated in a few key locales, rather than charging off to have them be present for yet another major historical event.

The historic details, such as battlefield scenes and events in the life of President Lincoln, which are included seem incredibly forced and often out of place (it seems unrealistic for telegrams from Lincoln to be Alexander's main means of gaining information, and the funeral of Lincoln's son is irrelevant to the plot of the story). However, the more glaring issue is the research which the author seems to have neglected, such as that there was no indoor plumbing, almost everyone drank alcohol so it wouldn't be frowned upon, women had little hope of joining scientific professions, and people of the opposite sex not married to each other were not supposed to be physically affectionate with each other. These types of details about society and daily life are so blatantly incorrect that the story does not feel like it takes place in 1862 at all.

For those looking for a good historical fiction piece set during the Civil War or Reconstruction, try The March by E.L. Doctorow, or Red River by Lalita Tademy. ( )

A DIFFERENCE OF PURPOSE is a story about a family torn by political and religious differences during the Civil War. This is a common theme in Civil War novels, but the author portrayed it well. We are all capable of good and evil. This came through in his novel and it is something I try to get across in my work as well. This novel was a quick read. It is a good book suitable for middle grade readers. But I also think adults will like this book, too.

This novel was well researched. I could tell that Mr. Soileau knows a lot about the Civil War. But at times the historical information seemed forced into the novel. Like he was trying to teach his readers instead of letting the story flow. (This is a common problem with historical fiction. I also found the author's style to be distant. I never felt connected strongly to the characters, like I was in their shoes.

But all in all, if you are looking for a unique Civil War novel I recommend you check this one out. ( )