Armed men bang on farmhouse doors in the middle of the night, shouting “Union or Secesh?” The wrong answer can get you killed, but you never know which side is asking the question. This is Missouri’s Civil War, pitting Southern guerrillas against Union forces – and neighbor against

neighbor.

     Matt Howard is 15, old enough to choose a side. But he’d rather farm than fight. His beloved father was a Southerner, and tending Pa’s land is the next best thing to having him alive. Matt’s mother is from the North. To safeguard her six children, Ma insists that the family take the neutral position.

     For Matt’s friend Jesse, the path is clear. His brother is already riding with guerrilla leader Quantrill, and Jesse will soon be expected to follow. Jesse quotes the Bible and can’t abide cursing – but he will kill, if he must, to defend his homeland and his family.

     When the war intensifies, Matt’s mother decides to move back North. Matt is torn: Should he abandon his home, or his family? What about Jesse?

     And how can Matt ever return to Missouri if he doesn’t stay and defend it?          

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