Shades of Gray Carolyn Reeder

This is the story of twelve year old Will Page who has lost everything in the Civil War. He is grieving and angry. His father died bravely in the Confederate Army. He is to live with his only existing relatives, an Uncle Jed and his family. Will's Uncle Jed had refused to take sides in the war and Will considers him a coward.

Will works alongside his Uncle on his farm doing hard manual labor...something that Will is not use to doing. While working and living with his relatives Will learns to appreciate and love their hard life and his Uncle's ways and his reasoning about the war. A good read because it gives you a glimpse into what people had to deal with after the killing and destruction of the Civil War.