The Valley of Shadows

Francis Grierson gives a vivid account of his days in central Illinois near the Sangamon river. The characters and their earthy wisdom, the folks on the underground railroad and the camp meeting were told so well, I swear that I was there. I recommend it highly to those readers who enjoy nineteenth century pioneer days reading

Herbert Agar, in his seminal work THE PRICE OF UNION, touts Grierson's little book. Fifteen years after reading Agar, I finally found THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS at a used bookstore in Denver. I had begun work on a screenplay about General Nathaniel Lyon (who held Missouri for the Union during the Civil War). Grierson's book and A BORDER CITY DURING THE CIVIL WAR by Galusha Anderson were priceless sources describing St. Louis as the city began to split apart in 1861. Both books were published more than four decades after the War, but the events are described vividly.

I had never heard of Francis Grierson's "The Valley of Shadows" until I read Edmund Wilson's enthusiastic praise of it in "Patriotic Gore." Still, I was unprepared for the book's enormous effect. I have never read anything like "The Valley of Shadows." It has some of the most evocative writing I have ever encountered, and, in this edition, ranks as one of the best short novels of 19th century America. (Prof. Bray has wisely excised the latter chapters of Francis Grierson's "memoir," and what remains is a compelling and very memorable work.) Grierson's descriptions of pre-Civil-War-Sangamon County, Illinois, the omens of war and suffering preceding Lincoln's election in 1860, and the religious hysteria of the times are unforgettable. His prose style is, to put it mildly, lyrical, but it is not in the least mannered or fussy. I think this book, more than any other except "Huckleberry Finn," shows what the American Midwest was like in mid-19th century. Like "Huck Finn," "The Valley of Shadows" is told from a child's point of view, and the feeling of wonder and confusion that comes from this choice of narrator is central to the book's charm. Perhaps best of all, the novel's characters, all beautifully differentiated and running a huge range from the comic to the deeply spiritual, are as unforgettable as any characters I have encountered. New readers of "The Valley of Shadows" are in for a big treat.