Shades of Gray

By Carolyn Reeder, Tim O’Brien (Illustrator)

Orphaned by war, a boy confronts his beliefs and discovers true courage.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 2,968 ratings

160 pages· 42,241 words· Est. 6 hour read

$7.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

After the Civil War, twelve-year-old Will Page, orphaned and bitter, must live with relatives in Virginia. His uncle Jed, who refused to fight for the Confederacy, seems a coward to Will. As they toil together on the struggling farm, Will witnesses Jed's quiet strength and integrity. This challenges Will's notions of honor and courage, forcing him to confront his own prejudices. Can Will redefine what it means to be brave in a world still healing from conflict? Discover a journey of growth and understanding in a land scarred by war.

From the publisher

In the aftermath of the Civil War, recently orphaned Will must start a new life and overcome his prejudices. Courage wears many faces… The Civil War may be over, but for twelve-year-old Will Page, the pain and bitterness haven’t ended. How could they have, when the Yankees were responsible for the deaths of everyone in his entire immediate family? And now Will has to leave his comfortable home in the Shenandoah Valley and live with relatives he has never met, people struggling to eke out a living on their farm in the war-torn Virginia Piedmont. But the worst of it is that Will’s uncle Jed had refused to fight for the Confederacy. At first, Will regards his uncle as a traitor–or at least a coward. But as they work side by side, Will begins to respect the man. And when he sees his uncle stand up for what he believes in, Will realizes that he must rethink his definition of honor and courage.