He struggles to understand issues beyond his years.

The discussion leads Jethro to a realization that war is more than a proof of strength. Matt Creighton condemns the immorality of slavery. The normally quiet Bill speaks in agreement with Wilse although he decries slavery. During the evening meal, the discussion grows heated as Wilse accuses Northern industrialists of attacking slavery as a way to gain public support of their battle against Southern agriculture interests. In the late afternoon, Ellen's nephew Wilse Graham from Kentucky arrives on a rare visit. He little understands the reasons for or the reality of what lies ahead. Jethro is excited at the prospect of war, like his brother Tom and cousin Eb. Ellen is preoccupied with concerns for her older boys should they be called to serve. Nine-year-old Jethro Creighton and his mother Ellen have just started a long day of planting potatoes, unaware that the long-festering turmoil in the country has already exploded into battle. The story begins in mid-April, 1861 on the Creighton farm. Matthew Creighton is credited with preventing a mob from retaliating against the Burdow family.Īcross Five Aprils is set in Jasper County, Illinois. The death of Mary Ellen further destroys their reputation in the community. The successive generations have been mocked and ostracized based on this gossip. The Burdows are a disrespected family, bearing the burden of gossip surrounding the family patriarch's reason for leaving his home state. The wagon crashed and overturned, killing Mary instantly. She was headed home from a dance in her escort's wagon when one of the Burdow boys fired a weapon meant to scare the team. Daughter Mary Ellen's death is of major importance in the story. He also has the love of 14-year-old Jenny Creighton, and wants a marriage, which her father disapproves due to her youth. Shadrach Yale is the schoolmaster from Pennsylvania that has noted the potential of young Jethro. Three of their children died within four days in July 1852 of “Childhood Paralysis.” The deaths of the “three little boys” led Ellen to be more lenient on youngest son Jethro (main character) than with her older children. Matthew's orphaned nephew Ebenezer Carron also lives at the homestead. Four remain living at home (Bill, Tom, Jenny and Jethro) John lives nearby with his wife Nancy and their two boys. Matthew and Ellen Creighton have 12 children. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) ( July 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed.

Across 5 aprils book