about the book
It is 1863 and the Civil War has raged for two long years. Gone is the pride of men marching off in spotless uniforms and the glory of war, replaced by the grim reality of brutal battles and death. The First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, has been turned into a makeshift hospital for the wounded Confederate soldiers…and the maimed and dying are coming in droves.
Staunch supporters of the Confederacy and slavery, the Reverend McKnight and his family live across the street in the parsonage. From the second floor window, ten-year-old Tommy, his sister Annie, and their dog, a whippet named Samson, watch as another wagon plods down the street. In this one, the piled men seem dead, except one soldier missing an arm. When the small book he clutches bounces from the wagon, Tommy sends Samson to retrieve it.
Knowing the book filled with handwriting might mean a lot to the fallen soldier, Tommy ventures into the gruesome hospital to return it. There he meets the owner, Redmon Porter, and the two quickly develop an unlikely friendship.
Red is a mystery. He won’t speak to adults and when he whispers to Tommy, his accent is unusual. His clothes are way too big for him and he treats the slaves far too kindly. Tommy is even more mystified when Red reads some of his poetry aloud. It is about “men who should be free” and the longing to “make the nation whole,” a decidedly un-Confederate viewpoint.
Tommy comes to the conclusion that Red is a Yankee in disguise! He’ll be breaking the law and ignoring his Christian duty if he doesn’t turn Red in. But if he does, his friend will go to the horrible prison camp!
Then Red asks Tommy to help him escape…and he plans to take the slave Henry with him! Agonizing over what he should do, Tommy questions the morality of slavery and his beliefs about friendship, loyalty, and mercy. Finally one of his father’s sermons helps him make a decision…one that could put his own life at risk!
about the author
Laurie Myers’ life has always revolved around books, writing, family, and faith. Her father is a retired college professor who wrote engineering textbooks and magazine articles, and her mother is famed children’s author Betsy Byars. Laurie and her younger sister, also named Betsy (married name Duffey) grew up listening to and reading their mother’s manuscripts. Later, the three would collaborate on more than 35 books together!
Born in Anderson, South Carolina, Laurie grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, in a neighborhood where there were a lot of kids and always something exciting to do—dog pageants, go-cart racing, talent shows, and more. Even at a young age, she and her two younger sisters and brother were using their dad’s power tools and mom’s sewing machine, building tree forts and dog houses, and sewing their own clothes and doll outfits, and making elaborate puppets. Laurie always loved doing creative things and re-using every little scrape to make something new. She says that as a writer, she takes little pieces of life and uses those scrapes to create stories. Nothing is ever wasted!
Laurie wanted to be a detective, not an author. She thought authors lived boring lives. Boy, was she wrong! Now on any given day, Laurie is fighting off bears in the wilderness, escaping bad guys, or valiantly saving a baby. She doesn’t even have to leave her house. All she has to do is use her imagination and start writing!
Laurie went to Clemson University and worked many years as a nurse. Now Laurie spends her time writing, sharing her passion for books with students throughout the country, tutoring incarcerated youths, teaching local Bible studies, and helping her church’s community. With their three children grown and busily on their own, she and her husband of thirty eight years live in Augusta, Georgia, with their cat Venus and dog Samson. (The dog Samson in Escape by Night is inspired by her very own loyal, loving, and smart whippet!) The book was inspired by the early life of President Woodrow Wilson. His father was a pastor and their house was across the street from their church which was turned into a hospital during the Civil War.
Sources:
Author website
Writing Sisters website
Author biography: Simon & Schuster
Author interview: Paper Blog
Also by Laurie Myers:
Lewis and Clark and Me : A Dog’s Tale. Henry Holt & Company. 2002.
read more!
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In 1850 twin brothers Tom and Jack Rigby are celebrating their ninth birthday. Tom is angry because his father has just sent his companion, Aaron a slave, away because he was “uppity.” Years later, the event will lead the two brothers to enlist on opposite sides during the Civil War. Now as the war drags on, Tom, a weary Union lieutenant, recalls life on their Virginia plantation and just what caused the brother’s rift. This book is based on a poignant Civil War ballad that was passed down through the author’s family.
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