The Young Lieutenant; or, The Adventures of an Army Officer

"The Young Lieutenant; or, The Adventures of an Army Officer" by Oliver Optic is a story set during the American Civil War that tells about a young Union Army officer's journey. The story follows Lieutenant Thomas Somers as he deals with his responsibilities, what he goes through, and how he gets along with others—especially the soldiers he fights with and regular people—while the war goes on around him. The book looks at being brave, loving your country, and the tough choices soldiers have to make. Right away, Lieutenant Somers meets Captain de Banyan, who brags a lot about his made-up war stories, showing that Somers is a young guy who wants to be seen as honorable but also knows what true courage and honesty are. Soon after, Somers finds himself in a terrible train crash and has to save a young woman named Emmie Guilford, proving how brave he is. The start of the book shows how Somers will grow as a person as he deals with both the awful parts of war and the tricky parts of relationships when his country is in trouble.