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Billy Boy
The Sunday Soldier of the 17th Maine
by Jean Mary Flahive

$15.95
Softcover
ISBN: 978-1-934031-13-1
Young Adult Novel


 

ABOUT THE BOOK
When 20-year-old Billy Laird of Berwick excitedly enlists in the Union Army with his hometown pals, he has no idea of what lies ahead for him. Mentally challenged, he is ill prepared for the training and fighting, but he gets by with the help of his friends. Soon, however, he is sent to a different unit without them. Lonely and unsure of what to do on his own, Billy runs off and meets up with a runaway slave, Elijah. Together, and with the help of the Underground Railroad, the two make their way north to their fates.

This young adult novel—inspired by a real person, Billy Laird, and an actual event—is a tale of friendship, loyalty and compassion and will enthrall readers of all ages. It was painstakingly researched by Flahive and provides a wealth of information about Mainers’ role in the Civil War.

REVIEWS
This first novel is a glorious tour de force. Never have I read a more compelling and sympathetic portrayal from within the mind of the mentally challenged ... I did not come up for breath as the story rolled along, every beat strong and right. (Read the full review)
– Historical Novels Review

Readers will think of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Just as each of these classic American novels has a distinctive flair – earnestly rough-hewn, ironically colloquial, sardonically precise – Billy Boy has its own style, emphatically sensuous . . . . In literary heaven, Flahive's Billy Laird may sit at the table with Benjy Compson from William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury and Lennie Small from John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.
– The Quoddy Times

Flahive's directive skill of rendering conversation throughout her book is remarkable. We are there in the space with Elijah and Billy, with Harry, with the troops under fire in the reality of what it now means, their mustering up for a dangerous rarified cause. . . . Flahive is surely one to be studied for her craftsmanship, her extraordinary interweaving of researched history and imaginitive realism. We see war and its sinister turnings, and the moments of unexpected enlightenment through an inner connection.
– Maine Sunday Telegram


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jean Mary Flahive, who has had a lifelong interest in the Civil War, is a member of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees.

She has taught college courses and has worked as a grant writer, fundraiser and project developer. She has won numerous awards for her work and community service. Billy Boy is her first novel. She lives in Falmouth, Maine, with her husband.

EXCERPT
Billy stood in front of the fire and watched a heavy mist creep through the camp. Drizzle seeped through his clothes, chilling him. Finally he ducked into the tent and found Leighton on his knees spreading the blanket across a floor of hay before he crashed his bulky frame down on top of it. Billy sat down beside him, pulled off his boots, and rested his chin on his knees.
"Leighton?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah?"
"You scared of fightin'?"
"Naw." He heard Leighton yawn. "Wrestled too many ornery bulls to be scared of a few Johnnies."
"You thinkin' I'll be a good soldier?"
"Don't rightly know if I'll be a good one." Leighton yawned again, rolled on his side. "We gonna die? Harry says we won't take a bullet – "
"Truth is, we ain't all comin' back, Billy Boy."
Leighton's words frightened Billy. Staring into the darkness, he hesitated for several moments.
"If I don't like it and all, can I go home? I can find my way."