Sophie Keller first recorded the events leading to the observance of the first Memorial Day. In Sister’s Story, she told how the citizens of one small village in Pennsylvania worked together with love, loyalty and compassion for family, community, and country as they faced the perils of the American Civil War. Sophie, an outgoing fourteen-year-old in 1862, exemplified the qualities that prevailed throughout the hardships of wartime. She and her best friend, Emma Hunter, are the heroines of Shadows of War; Prelude to the First Memorial Day.

Emma Hunter seemed older than her fourteen years; tall and slim, her delicate features contrasting long dark curls that she pulled back from her face. She was the more reserved of the two friends and complimented Sophie’s impishness. She worried about her father, Dr. Reuben Hunter, who had gone to war as a surgeon in the months before our story began.

Daniel Keller is the hero of Shadows of War. Sophie’s seventeen-year-old brother joined many of his classmates to honor their duty to their country during wartime. His boyish good looks were highlighted by his curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. At the same time he radiated strength and commitment by his youthful vigor. His best friend, William Van Dyke, was equally smart and determined.