Arlene Showalter

Butternut Tears Arlene Showalter

Clara Maxwell fights the Civil War at home, knitting socks for the army and feeding Yankee prisoners alongside her compassionate aunt. Her mother, Mrs. Maxwell, conquers her own bitterness of war by tending to wounded soldiers and sewing uniforms. Jimmy, Clara's brother, transfers the wounded to local hospitals and becomes a prison guard. These three tell the story of many actual events of that war, but particularly those affecting Salisbury, North Carolina.