Family secrets are gradually revealed, like peeling layers of wallpaper, in Richard Peck’s Civil War novel set in the small town of Grand Tower, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River. When a New Orleans steamboat docks at the Grand Tower landing one night, two young women passengers disembark, and their arrival is a portent of the approaching war. Supposedly headed for St. Louis, Delphine and Calinda decide to stay for a while in this town divided in its support of the North and South. They board in the spare room at Tilly’s house at the edge of town, and soon both visitors and hosts discover they have much to learn about each other’s lives. Secrets abound from the start, from some obvious holes in Delphine’s cover story to unanswered questions about dark-skinned Calinda—could she be a slave? Their lives entangle further when Tilly’s brother Noah falls in love with Delphine shortly before leaving for the battlefield. Tilly and Delphine travel to nurse Noah when he becomes ill, and the following section brings to life the horrific conditions of the tent hospitals at Cairo, Illinois. While in Cairo, one of Delphine’s many secrets is revealed when she is recognized as a gens de couleur, the daughter of a white man and his black mistress. And although Tilly, Delphine, and Noah return to Grand Tower together, their lives have been irrevocably changed. The Civil War story is wrapped within a framing narrative set in 1916, told by elderly Tilly to a teenage descendant who learns this family history along with the reader. Yet a final unexpected revelation is made at the close of this mesmerizing historical novel that doesn’t hesitate to confront big issues, such as race, politics, war, and moral attitudes. (Ages 13–16)

The year is 1861. Civil war is imminent and Tilly Pruitt's brother, Noah, is eager to go and fight on the side of the North. With her father long gone, Tilly, her sister, and their mother struggle to make ends meet and hold the dwindling Pruitt family together. Then one night a mysterious girl arrives on a steamboat bound for St. Louis. Delphine is unlike anyone the small river town has even seen. Mrs. Pruitt agrees to take Delphine and her dark, silent traveling companion in as boarders. No one in town knows what to make of the two strangers, and so the rumors fly. Is Delphine's companion a slave? Could they be spies for the South? Are the Pruitts traitors? A masterful tale of mystery and war, and a breathtaking portrait of the lifelong impact one person can have on another.