Heirloom Audio Productions has reignited a love for G.A. Henty books in our family. We have several in our collection, but not enough, I've decided, since listening to With Lee in Virginia, an audio drama about duty, heroic courage, and honor during the Great War between the Northern and Southern States of America - the Civil War.
I'm touched by the main character, Vincent, the son of a plantation owner in Virginia who is against slavery, but learns to make the best of it by treating the slaves on his mother's plantation with dignity, respect, and fairness. I'm further moved by how much Dan, a slave under his care, admires and respects Vincent by promising, "Where ever you go, I will be there with you." I also have a new appreciation and respect for why the Civil War was fought.
I was very excited to review this audio drama because we are studying American History this year!
We listened as a family, in the car, purely for enjoyment for this review because we are not yet to the time period of the Civil War, but we will not only listen again, but I also received the bonuses to use including a soundtrack, printable quote and poster, e-newsletter, study guide, and the complete Henty story in a downloadable e-Book - so we will likely read the book as a read aloud as well.
I do plan to use the Study Guide, a 52 page guide designed to guide my students through the storyline and it's lessons.
The Study Guide contains three main parts:
- Listening Well - how well did your student listen and remember? Some are easy, but some may require listening again.
- Thinking Further - these challenge your student to think, look up something from the story, draw conclusions, or speculate about the intentions of characters. These questions ask your child to think a bit—to look up something mentioned in the story, to draw conclusions from the characters’ actions, or to speculate about their intentions.
- Defining Words - these build vocabulary and dictionary skills.
It also includes a recommended reading list to learn more about Robert E. Lee and his faith. Then, there are two short Bible studies discussing the Biblical themes of duty and loving your enemy. My kids especially liked the historic photos included in the study guide.
A note from my husband:
In this audio General Lee is depicted as a man of faith whom relies heavily upon the urgings of the Spirit to guide him in times of peace and war. I always knew from various stories the chivalry of General Lee, but this story captures it well. The narration begins with the story of a boy, Vincent, whose family owns a plantation in Virginia. During those days slavery was common, but was beginning to change leading up to the Civil War. The story depicts different viewpoints of slavery and how landowners used their "property." The main character despises the use of physical force to subdue a slave and thus the listener is thrust into the world of the Civil War.
The main character, Vincent, is seen as a young man whose life changes dramatically after seeing and being a part of the carnage that was left in the aftermath of the Civil War. During it, however, he firmly holds fast to his faith and convictions which would on occasion lead him to medals and friendships along the way.
At the end of narrative I found myself admiring the morals and values of the characters, the wonderful voices, and the fantastic tales interwoven within the audio.
I agree! Storyline aside, this is a great audio production full of familiar voices, fabulous sound effects, and wonderful music to make Henty's story come alive. I highly recommend With Lee in Virginia!
To see what my Crew Mates thought please go read their reviews!
Sounds very interesting. My daughter's middle name is Lee after Robert E. Lee. :)
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