Elise The Actress

Elise shook her head. “Oh Verly, I wanted everyone to laugh and be happy. Laughter is the best medicine. Why can’t people forget the terrible war, even if it’s only for one evening?”

Book: Elise the Actress: Climax of the Civil War (Sisters in Time Book 13) by Norma Jean Lutz, Barbour Publishers, 2005

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 9-15

Subjects: Civil War, Hope, Loss, Love for others, Anger, Patriotism

Summary: If you don’t hate the enemy as much as I do then you are an enemy and anyone who doesn’t hate you is an enemy. That’s the general mindset in the last couple years of the Civil War. It is certainly the mindset of people in Elise’s community. An older man has a son who went off to fight for the south and not only is this man now viewed as the enemy, but Elise is an enemy for associating with him! Her good friend abandoned their friendship simply because Elise showed love to someone in need! Elise is so tired of all the fighting, all the sadness, all the anger! Her goal is to make people laugh and smile again. She’ll send letters to the soldiers – letters with riddles in them! She’ll go to the hospital to help the wounded – by putting on a play for them! But some problems simply can’t be distracted from and Elise has to find out how far she is willing to go to help those in need.

Notes: Elise The Actress is the thirteenth in the Sisters-In-Time series. This series features young girls living at various key points in American history, particularly around the wars. It always places the girls right at the edge of the teen years, coming of age.  The concept of the series it to not only show a glimpse of history, but to help young girls feel that the people back then weren’t that different than the people today.

Elise The Actress takes place in 1865 and focuses on the historical event of the Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. Elise is a young girl surrounded by sadness. Some of the men of the community have already died in the war, others are still away fighting. The longer the war goes on, the harder it becomes for those still at home. Elise knows that those viewed as “southern sympathizers” are completely shunned but she hurts for them and wants to help. When she comes across a group of deserters from the war though, she will have to decide if it’s worth risking her very life to help these starving men.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Proverbs 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Matthew 25:31-40 – "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'