The Civil War Diary of Clara Solomon

OK, you guys, last Civil War book for awhile, I promise. This one was actually really interesting. Not that I anticipated that it wouldn't be, it's just that I was oddly fascinated by it and I'm not quite sure why. The diary was written in New Orleans and only covers the first year or two of the war. At the beginning of the diary, Clara is fifteen and she is seventeen by the time the diary ends. Despite the fact that there is a war going on, which she does mention frequently, she is still a typical fifteen-year-old. She is shallow and self-absorbed and most of her concerns were related to things like who her best friend was that week.

I don't think that Clara and I would have gotten along if we had ever met in real life. And since I generally don't like fiction written from the POV of a teenage girl, I have a hard time explaining why I was so absorbed by this girl's diary. Most of her concerns were petty, every-day concerns, but I found myself wrapped up in them anyway. I wanted to know about the arguments at school and who insulted whom and who Clara was obsessed with that week.

Despite the fact that I found it entertaining, I obviously read the book because I was hoping it would give me an insight into what life for my characters was like during the first two years of the war, and that it certainly did. Although I knew about the rise in prices and all of the problems with Confederate currency, it really makes a difference to hear about how it affected a young girl's day-to-day life. It's also nice to know that, although it was clearly a major issue, the war was not the only thing that people were talking about. They still had their parties and their card games and went about visiting. Speaking of which, I think that's something we need to bring back as a society. Just dropping by each other's homes to pay a visit just for the hell of it. Sure they might be out, and they might not be expecting you, but who cares? We need more physical interaction.

This book also inspired me to start writing in my diary again. I have not done that yet, and I'm not sure I really have the time for it, especially given the fact that Clara kept complaining about how time consuming it was to write in her diary on a regular basis. Nonetheless, I think it's a good idea to write things down every now and again, if only to keep track of one's thoughts and feelings.