University of Montana professor Jabour explores the American Civil War through its effects on children, both black and white, from the time before the war to Reconstruction. Jabour's extensive use of journals, diaries, and records of interviews with adults who lived through the war as children enlivens her text considerably. The recollection of a former slave girl's comment to a ... Read morepassing white boy-'Bottom rail on top now!'-is but one example of the power of Jabour's anecdotes. . . . The unique topic is intriguing, and the use of primary sources admirable.
Publishers Weekly
At the end of Topsy-Turvy the reader might contemplate whether this is a study of the Civil War told through the lens of children, or a study of childhood told through the lens of the events of war? That this question cannot be easily answered reveals the ultimate strength of the book, telling a complex tale of both individual lives and social values disrupted and re-shaped both by the events of war and by growing-up.
Civil War Book Review
A great read.
The Lone Star Book Review
Jabour's beautifully conceived and eminently readable book on children of the Civil War adds a critical layer to our understanding about nationalism and the Southern home front. Her comprehensive analysis of the war's youngest political actors sheds particular light on their later role as creators of a New South.
Journal of American History
Topsy-Turvy does have much to recommend it to a general readership. It is blessedly free of jargon, making for a simple social history narrative....The author is diligent and inclusive, and she should be lauded especially for bringing the children of poor whites and free blacks into the story of the Civil War....Jacbour's work is readable, interesting, and useful for shattering a number of common stereotypes.
Journal of Southern History
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