Journey to Gettysburg is a dramatic replay of the events leading up to the most important battle of the Civil War. It is seen through the eyes of a Quaker boy who is first, a bystander and observer. Then, he is drawn into the conflict and becomes a participant in Pickett's Charge, the climax of the three day conflict. Matt Mason is a 15 year old boy who was raised on an isolated farm in rural North Carolina. With the untimely death of his mother it becomes necessary for him to find his father who is fighting for the Army of Northern Virginia. Much of the story is involved with the trek of the young man through war-torn Virginia in search of the Southern Army which is on the way to Gettysburg and the climactic battle that proves to be the turning point of the war. During the trip north Matt matures from a boy to a young man in what becomes a "coming of age" story. The experiences on the trek, the challenges he faces day to day as he searches for his father, and the friendships he develops make the book memorable and hard to put down once the story begins. That is especially true in the developing relationship with the beautiful Ami-Ruth who provides a new dimension to his life as the conflict surrounding them threatens to consume them both.