![]() The violence is not overplayed, nor is the abolitionist side portrayed as totally good. Another strength of this novel is that it tells a fast-paced suspenseful story while presenting a clear picture of a crucial period in U. ![]() The historical figures who populate the story are equally well portrayed they appear as flesh-and-blood characters, not just names out of a history book. The unquestionable star of this story is Lije, a thoroughly believable boy caught up in events beyond his control but wanting to do his part for a cause in which he believes. The story reaches its climax as Quantrill's forces attack and burn Lawrence, Kansas, where Lije's family lives. He learns about the quasi-soldiers led by Charles Quantrill, a cruel and unsavory character, and he meets Frank James and his brother Jesse. ![]() In one such confrontation, Lije's father is killed, and Lije is recruited to live among a group of pro-slavery activitists as a spy. ![]() ![]() The Jayhawkers and their pro-slavery counterparts, the bushwhackers, clash often in bloody, sometimes murderous shootouts. He eagerly joins the band of men recruited by Brown to be Jayhawkers, Kansans who cross into neighboring Missouri to steal away slaves and help them to freedom. Grade 5-8- To 13-year-old Elija "Lije" Tulley, the fanatical abolitionist John Brown is a hero in a righteous cause. ![]()
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