Think you know the Civil War? THE GIRLS OF GETTYSBURG by Bobbi Miller will fill in some gaps. While it is only a slice of time in that horrific period, this novel (historical fiction) provides three remarkable views.

Annie disguises herself as a boy to fight. Her reasons for running away and enlisting could have been a bit more developed, and I am unsure why her brother James is mentioned since he seems to play no significant role (it is her brother William who influences her), but the reality that meets her decision will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

Grace is a free black in Gettysburg who has a chance to escape farther North with her mother, but remains. For the first time, she witnesses—and helps—slaves trying to escape through the Underground Railroad. For someone who has only known freedom her whole life (as discriminatory as it is), it changes her perspective.

Tillie is an entitled, snobbish Gettysburg girl. It is her transformation, based on what she sees and experiences, that gripped me most tightly. With Annie facing battle (as a Confederate) and Grace trying to keep herself and two young runaways safe, you would think Tillie's would be the least interesting story. But looking through her eyes had the greatest impact on me.

Bobbi Miller's previous books have been picture book folktales and a middle grade book (BIG RIVER'S DAUGHTER—read it!) that are full of rich language and exaggerated talk. This book began with, I felt, a little too much of that same language for a book so completely different. Yet, it's not long before Ms. Miller settles comfortably into this story and lets its own unique rhythm carry her (and us) along.

Imagine a book that reveals the view of a Confederate (a girl soldier!), a free black, and a privileged white northern girl… No points of view could be more set apart, but I understood each of them. How? It's Bobbi Miller's storytelling that allows you to enter three distinct worlds.

This is a marvelous middle grade novel. In fact, I am hoping Ms. Miller might consider writing an expanded version of this same book for adults. GIRLS is perfectly balanced in the material it presents to its intended audience, but I find myself wanting to know more about each and every character, not only these three girls, but all those who surround them.

And isn't that what a great book is…something that leaves us wanting more? I applaud Bobbi Miller's work as a meticulous researcher and writer, and look forward to her next book, whatever the genre, whatever the audience. We'll be seeing much more from this talented, versatile author. ( )