In the final months of the Civil War, Virginia and her family move to Washington, D.C. where the cold winter brings uncertainty and hardship. Virginia takes a job as a servant in a wealthy home to help her family. But, just as things start to improve as her father gets a job, and the war finally comes to an end, the tragic assassination of Ginny's beloved President Lincoln occurs. In this, her second diary chronicling the Civil War, Ginny learns that life is constantly changing. Indeed, even as Lincoln dies, her nephew is born. Throughout, Ginny faces life with hope and courage.

The year is 1864 and the Civil War is raging. Since we first moved to Washington City, my family is experiencing quite an adjustment.We now live in a shabby house of three rooms and a small kitchen; we eat beans and bread. Jed works for a newspaper to support our family. Pa continues to look for a job. I get a job working for Mrs. Porter. But I envy her wealthy grandchildren---they have everything I don't have---beautiful clothes, gifts and travel. Will I ever find tranquility within myself and will our nation ever find peace?

I am ten-year-old Virginia Dickens; "After the Rain" is my diary. ( )

Pages: 107
Reading Level: 4.1

This is a great story about the time of the Civil War. It is as collection of diary entries from a young ten year old girl who is expending the end of the war and the death of Abraham Lincoln. I could use this book as a segway into student's own journal entries or perhaps another activity about the Civil War. This book is a great intro to the events and seems fairly accurate.

This second book was better then the first. It could be that there were more moments I could relate to like Virginia letting envy get into her heart because her family was poor and she worked for a rich family with children her age that got more than her. Yes I could relate to that.

While this book was pretty down for the most part it wasn’t down the whole time. It like life had it’s ups and downs where in the first book I didn’t see much ups at all.

Although this is a second book in Virginia’s books it can be read by it self. I can see this one making a good book report for the kids. ( )