Twelve year old Abigail Stewart continues her tale where she left off in The Winter of the Red Snow.  Abby’s father had joined the Continental Army.  Left homeless in Valley Forge by a house fire, Abby, her mother, seven year old sister, and one year old brother decide to follow the army with other families of the soldiers.  Through her diary, she tells of the hardships endured by George Washington’s army for three years from 1779 to 1781.  The day-to-day aspects of surviving cruel winters, starvation, lack of suitable clothing, and the constant moving bring history to life.  The lives of people they meet and events witnessed are realistic and not idealized.  An epilogue brings Abby’s story to an end.  A historical note add details about life in America during the Revolutionary War.  It is followed with illustrations of people and places from the 1770s which are reproduced with permission.  Books in the Dear America series are a great way to experience life as it was in the early days of our country.