Below are the group members' comments about this work.
Everyone attending November 2011’s meeting was delighted to have the author, Andrea Warren, join our discussion of this unique look at a major Civil War battle that proved a turning point in determining whether Americans would go forward as one nation or two. Ms. Warren provided insight into the research behind the book, her writing methods, and other information about the central figures: Lucy McRae, Willie Lord, and Frederick Grant.
While primarily written as a children’s novel, Under Siege! is a well researched non-fiction look at the 48-day siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Warren spent a year researching the lives of the three children, two Vicksburg residents as well as the 12-year-old son of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, and vividly details the conditions they endured during this struggle. When asked what surprised them most when reading this account, members mentioned the fact that families of soldiers often traveled with the soldiers to battlefront, the age of Grant’s son and that Frederick’s mother allowed him to stay with his father, and the sheer determination of the Vicksburg residents not to surrender. Everyone agreed the book was extremely readable and full of information.
You can read more about Andrea Warren and her award-winning books at: http://andreawarren.com/
