Against the Grain

The book dramatizes the plight of abolitionist Quakers living in eastern North Carolina during the Civil War. As the war rages from1861 to 1865, both Union and Confederate forces tramp through theregion to destroy whatever they come upon and confiscate, as thewar drags on, anything of value. A Quaker family entrenched in rural tradition and a faith emphasizing peace quietly resists the brutalityof war but is made to suffer. As Southerners, Union soldiers see themas the enemy. As abolitionists going against the grain of Southernculture, Confederate soldiers despise and harass them. When theyrefuse to pay the exemption tax, their men are required to go into thearmy. Refusing to bear arms, their mettle is severely tested at Gettysburgand Petersburg. The book is about courage and endurance in the maw of adversity. It is closely based on historical fact, Confederate records,and Quaker tradition.