Gamila's Review

Two girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein

“Lizzie and Rosanna are cousins and best friends, but when the Civil War breaks out, Lizzie finds herself committed to the Union cause, while Rosanna is swept up in the passions of the Old South--and in her love for a dashing young Confederate officer. Torn in their alliances, each girl finds herself grappling with the senseless brutality of war and the sacrifices that must be made in order to survive. It will take one of the war's bloodiest battles--fought on the farmlands and streets of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania--to reunite them. And in its aftermath, their lives are changed forever.” (summary from author’s website)

I thought that the friendship of Lizzie and Rosanne was a bit odd, because they seem so different at first. Rosanne seems mysterious and sort of withdrawn from Lizzie, and I thought that was strange. Lizzie’s point-of-view is normal first person narrative style, but later on in the book Rosanna’s point-of-view is conveyed through her first person journal entries. She begins her journal after she runs away from Gettysburg back to Richmond, and it chronicles the story from the southern perspective. I liked that both Lizzie and Rosanne had surprises in store for their characters. I never would have guessed that Roseanne would have become a war nurse, and reading her experiences was sad, but also interesting. I liked watching Lizzie grow into liking the boy that worked at her family’s butcher shop.
This was a slower paced read for me. I felt like the book was really long and the plot was a little slow. It wasn’t my favorite book, but I enjoyed reading about the characters. I think it also showed a unique perspective of the battle of Gettysburg. It focused more on how it affected the town then on battle, tactics, and soldiers.

Author Lisa Klein's Website