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The Flags of War

by John Wilson

The Flags of War, by prolific B.C. writer John Wilson, takes a hard look at war and its consequences through the eyes of young protagonists. Set during the U.S. Civil War, the novel tells the story of two young men, one Canadian, one American, fighting on opposite sides of the battle. The boys turn out to be cousins, long separated by a family rift over slavery; an improbable family reunion takes place when Walt, fighting for the North, wounds and captures the Confederate Nate.

In the tangled narrative course that leads to this climax, we see both boys eager to go to war, lured by the promise of adventure. As well, each feels compelled to fight for or against slavery and the way of life it supports. Their fathers and friends warn them that they have a simplistic and romanticized vision of battle, a warning borne out by their own experiences.

In Flags, Wilson provides his usual challenge to black-and-white thinking, prodding readers to think critically. Heroes are hard to come by in his historical fiction, and ethical choices are as difficult to determine as they are to make. But Wilson’s aim for a balanced perspective invites too many voices and storylines into this short novel, and the brevity of the book means that none get the development they need. Among other subplots, Walt teaches American Sign Language to a mute slave named Sunday; Nate’s father is dying and will lose his plantation; the MacGregors try to heal a family rift; and Walt’s parents are estranged. All these threads are left loose at the story’s end, resulting in a sudden and unsatisfying conclusion.

 

Reviewer: Laurie McNeill

Publisher: Kids Can Press

DETAILS

Price: $16.95

Page Count: 168 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 1-55337-567-X

Released: Aug.

Issue Date: 2004-11

Categories: Children and YA Fiction

Age Range: 10 - 14