With Lee in Virginia (Crew Review)
About With Lee in Virginia
The story is about a wealthy young Virginian man named Vincent. While he accepts slavery as a part of his world, he fights in his own way against any mistreatment of slaves that he encounters, both on his own plantation and those of his neighbors. When the Civil War breaks out, he joins the Confederate Army and experiences battle, the death of lifelong friends, being taken prisoner, escaping, and finding his way home. Several times throughout the story, he interacts with General Robert E. Lee, who had known his late father.
Vincent’s faith, and that of General Lee, is emphasized throughout the story. I think it is easy for modern observers to condemn the South altogether, and With Lee in Virginia helps us understand the Confederate mindset a little better. Lee in particular is a very sympathetic character, with deep roots and attachments both to his home state of Virginia and with the nation as a whole. He had been a valued military leader and at the beginning of the conflict he turns down the commission offered to him in the Union Army. “You are asking me to take up arms against my beloved Virginia. Against my neighbors and friends. Against my family.”
As he prays about this life-changing decision, he pleads with God for guidance. “Do I fight for my country, as I have done for all these years, or do I defend my state, my cherished Virginia? Do I spill the blood of my countryman or spill the blood of my neighbor? Almighty God, I cannot make this choice without you. Please, please, what do I do?”
Faith, courage, goodness, and humility are emphasized throughout the story, and even as the main characters face defeat in the war, they are still admirable men of honor.
In addition to the two and a half hour CD recording, we were given download access to several special bonuses, including:
- audio theater production (mp3)
- ebook of G.A. Henty’s original story with colorful graphics (pdf)
- soundtrack (mp3)
- study guide and discussion starter (pdf)
The study guide is intended to help parents guide younger students through the story, as well as providing a series of written assignments for older children. It breaks the recording into 4-10 minute chunks, then provides questions to help make sure children understood what they heard. Each set of questions is broken up into three parts: Listening Well (comprehension), Thinking Further (critical thinking), and Defining Words (vocabulary). Other features of the study include a list of recommended reading for those who want to learn more about Robert E. Lee and his faith, two short Bible studies to help families explore some of the biblical themes from the story, and historical information about how Sectionalism impacted the Civil War and slavery in the Bible.
Our Family’s Experience of With Lee in Virginia
We listened to the story a few times, both in the car as we drove around town, and at home as we did work around the house. My 7-year old listens to audio stories constantly, so he was immediately drawn in and listened intently to the whole thing. My younger children enjoyed the story while we were in the car but weren’t inclined to stick around for long once we were at home. Like the previous releases from Heirloom Audio, the production quality is impressive. In the background you hear the beautiful score by Emmy-winning composer John Campbell, and many talented actors (including Kirk Cameron and Sean Astin) help bring the story to life.
We’ve enjoyed all the productions from Heirloom Audio, but I think this one has been our family’s favorite. While the children certainly enjoyed Under Drake’s Flag and In Freedom’s Cause, it seemed like this story was the most accessible to them at their young ages. They definitely had some questions about slavery and the war, but overall I think they were able to follow the story of With Lee in Virginia better than they have the others. Obviously older children will get more out of it, and I know we’ll use it (and the study guide) in the future when we study this period in history.
I am so thankful to have these quality audio recordings to share with our family. Their emphasis on faith and character, as well as the strong male characters, are so important to us particularly as we raise our sons. To find out more about Heirloom Audio’s vision and their productions, I recommend checking out LiveTheAdventureLetter.com. We look forward to more wonderful audio theater productions from Heirloom Audio!
