Hattie's War

by Peter Serko

Overview

How far would you go to follow your dreams? Fourteen-year-old Hattie Howell would do anything to follow hers. She's smart, ambitious, and a tad rebellious. Artistically inclined, she speaks her mind. Hattie would fit right in 2023. The problem is, it's 1878.

Hattie's obsessed with her father's death-a father she never knew. He was a sign painter and artist. More than anything, she wants to be an artist like him. Along with his two brothers, he volunteered to fight in the Union Army at the outset of the Civil War. Five months later, Hattie was born. He never came home. All anyone knows is he was killed on July 1, 1863, at The Battle of Gettysburg. Hattie wants answers. She needs answers. But from where?

Hattie's War is the story of a young girl's quest to find herself and her place in the world in an era when women had few options. Plagued by debilitating depression, a "curse" that runs in her family, she fears being sent to an insane asylum. Against all odds, she bucks convention, guided and supported by a most unlikely cast of characters. Her courage and determination finally pay off. Yet, in the end, she makes a surprising decision.

Set against the backdrop of the post-Civil War, Hattie's War draws on true first-hand accounts of those who fought in the War. Adding a further twist to the story, Hattie, in real life, is the author's great-great-grandmother.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798218129514
Publisher:	Sageland Press
Publication date:	09/08/2023
Pages:	242
Sales rank:	540,839
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.51(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

A self-described late bloomer, Peter has a knack for reinventing himself. He's been a counselor, stay-at-home dad, nurseryman, IT professional, playwright, solo performer, photographer, filmmaker, and author. He was inspired to write his middle-grade historical fiction novel, Hattie's War, after acquiring the diaries of his late great-grandmother. Curiosity sparked further research, uncovering his family's surprising ties to the American Civil War. His great-great-great-grandfather Hannibal Howell died at The Battle of Gettysburg, leaving behind a wife and five children. His youngest child, Hattie, is Peter's great-great-grandmother. Hattie was born five months after her father joined the Union Army. Hattie never knew her father... their story was begging to be told.A father of three adult children and a stay-at-home dad for thirteen years in his 30s, Peter was in a unique position to understand the struggles and sacrifices made by his female ancestors in a time when women had few choices outside the home. Hattie's War is a coming-of-age tale that pays homage to their struggles, as well as their hopes and dreams. Hattie's journey of discovery illuminates the harsh reality of the Civil War, and the lives of grieving families left in its wake.

Editorial Reviews

This book perfectly blends personal history and fiction that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Through meticulous research and attention to historical detail, Serko has brought Hattie's world to life, making the reader feel like they are alongside her. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story of ambition, rebellion, and the power of perseverance.
—Midwest Book Review

A well-researched, thoughtfully-designed historical fiction novel that speaks to middle-grade and older readers in a memorable way.
—Reedsy Discovery

From the Publisher

09/08/2023

Gr 4–6—Serko's debut tells the story of the author's ancestor, a woman who had to find her way in the wake of the Civil War. Hattie Howell is a 13-year-old struggling under the weight of a family inheritance—the same anxiety and depression that hurt her mother and siblings in the years after her father died in service to the Union army. Seeking answers to her "melancholy," Hattie begins to investigate the circumstances of her father's death. She solicits information from family members and military colleagues, all the while drawing pictures of the world as she encounters it. This book emerged from stories told in Serko's own family. It includes an appendix with historical documents, photographs, and explanations to contextualize the things that Hattie encounters, from addiction to psychiatric hospitals. Although this book clearly arose from thoughtful research, the language and reasoning of the characters skews toward a presentist perspective. Some of the citations provided in the appendix section also lack heft, such as the reference to a Wikipedia article summarizing the war time line. Nevertheless, this book should entice readers to further explore the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction. VERDICT Recommended for fans of historical fiction with particular interest in mental illness, trauma, and women's history.—Talea Anderson

School Library Journal

2023-10-15
In this debut middle-grade historical novel, a teenager seeks the truth about her father.

Harriett “Hattie” Alanson Howell is only 14 years old but has already experienced major loss. When Hattie was 10, her closest sibling, Jennie, died of an illness. Hattie’s father, Hannibal—a successful sign painter who, like Hattie, loved to draw—was killed in the Civil War shortly before her birth. All Hattie’s mother will say is “I pray he had a good death.” As a teenager in New York state’s Finger Lakes area who battles depression, which she refers to as the “Raven,” Hattie decides to look for answers on her own. She begins corresponding with her Uncle Byron, Hannibal’s brother and the only war survivor in the family. Byron not only enlightens Hattie about the good man her father was—he joined the Union Army to fight racism on the home front—but also encourages the teen’s own artistic gifts, even paying for her to attend Atelier De Luca, a prestigious Ithaca art program, when she is 17. After graduation, Hattie must decide between further study or the opportunity to become a sign painter—and whether she can withstand a trip to Gettysburg, where her father perished. Serko’s engaging novel was inspired by his own ancestors—Hattie was his great-great-grandmother and Hannibal his great-great-great-grandfather—as well as a family trip to Gettysburg in 1970 when the author was 16 and first learned of the Howell side of the family. The book contains a host of kid-friendly resources to provide context, including key facts about the Civil War, illustrations by Leslie, historical and family photographs, and a recipe for the molasses cookies that prominently appear in the work’s first chapter. Hattie is an intelligent and thoughtful young hero, wrestling with mental health and discovering her creativity while navigating life in a brand-new landscape. Her story is both relatable and inspiring for the novel’s target audience.

A sentimental and satisfying tale about a teen in post-Civil War America.

Kirkus Reviews