“All Battles End at Sunset” by Jared Acuna

• 10/30/2023
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All Battles End at Sunset

Jared Acuna
Hilt & Arrow (2023)
ISBN: 979-8987550809
Reviewed by Ashley Hooker for Reader Views (09/2023)

In the description of this book, it states that history should be fun. Jared Acuna makes this happen in his book “All Battles End at Sunset.” We are taken on an action-packed adventure with a young boy named Marcel.

Marcel is 12 years old in 1562 and has spent his life in the woods of France. He is an orphan and is just beginning to see the turmoil his country is in. There is a battle between the Protestants, or Huguenots, and the Catholics. It is threatening to turn their world upside down and people are looking for a way to safety. Sea Captain Jean Ribault and his crew come to Marcel’s town looking for Rene de Laudonniere. Rene is the man who took Marcel out of the woods and has cared for him for many years.

Ribault and Rene are planning a voyage to Florida to bring the Huguenots to safety. They devise a plan and Marcel, along with his friend Tristan join them on this voyage. Of course, getting to the boat isn’t without danger. Once the boat lands in Florida, Marcel and Tristan get into a predicament with the Natives. Their French family believes them to be dead.

Time passes and Marcel and Tristan decide they want to know what happened to their friends. What they discover is not exactly what they hoped for. Then the Spanish arrived and what seemed like peace had now turned tragic.

I applaud the author for taking a part of history often forgotten and bringing it to life for readers. As a former history teacher, I was excited to read a work that breathed life into the events of that time. The author may have written a fictional account of the events, but he shared the emotions of the people in 1562 France. It is often the emotions we lose when we focus on the dates. My favorite aspect of this book is the portrayal of the Natives. The author did not make them cruel, unforgiving people. He has torn down the wall of stereotypes indigenous people are often subject to in the history books.

“All Battles End at Sunset” is written with two young boys as the main characters. Many historical fiction and non-fiction books are written for adults, but this one can span generations of readers. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because there were times I found myself wanting to move on when the author was still describing a scene. Other than these occasional pacing issues, Jared Acuna has presented us with a well-written, action-packed, emotional, and fun work of historical fiction for all ages in “All Battles End at Sunset.”