Civil War teen survives, thrives
Port Orange author Elayne Dion had a book sale and signing in Eufaula, Ala., at the annual Eufaula Pilgrimage on April 4-5.
Her book, "The Brass Button," is a historical adventure that appeals to readers age 10 and older, telling of 12-year-old Minta Russell and her family who live on a cotton plantation in Eufaula at the outbreak of the Civil War.
The episode that foreshadowed the drastic change in Minta's life was her father telling the family that the South was on the brink of war, and over the next five years, Minta evolves from a naive child into a responsible adult, suffering the deaths of her brother and her sweetheart, confronting dangerous renegades and dealing with an escaped prisoner of war. These dilemmas and her relationship with the family slaves acquaint the reader with this turbulent period and the life of a teenage girl with the courage to survive.
The book is published by Lulu Publishing, 72 pages, $9.95 in paperback.
The book is available at The Book Rack, 3818 Clyde Morris Blvd., Port Orange, and at Lulu.com. Contact the author at brassbutton@live.com.