Caleb's Wars

by David L. Dudley

A powerful novel about growing up black on the World War II home front in the Jim Crow South.Caleb lives in a world at war. War news is on everyone’s mind, and Caleb’s older brother, Randall, is likely to be sent overseas. The presence of German POWs in Caleb’s rural Georgia community is a constant reminder of what’s happening in Europe. Locked in a power struggle with his domineering father and fighting to keep both his temper and his self-respect in dealing with whites, Caleb finds his loyalties shifting and his certainties slipping away. This coming-of-age story, set in a time before the civil rights movement emerged, traces one young man’s growing commitment to justice and to the courage needed to protect it.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, War, Fiction, African American, Teen, Historical

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

David L. Dudley is professor of African American literature at Georgia Southern University. He lives in Twin City, Georgia, with his wife. They have four children and homeschool the younger two.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

From November 2011 SLJ:
Gr 7-10: In 1944 rural Georgia, 15-year-old Caleb has been taught to step off the sidewalk whenever white folks approach and not to talk back to a white person of any age. His older brother enlists to fight the Nazis and is relegated to an all-black unit supervised by white officers. When Caleb's father beats him one time too many, Caleb approaches Mr. Davis about work. The plantation owner has pulled some strings to get German POWs incarcerated close by, so he has all the field help he needs, but he offers Caleb a dishwashing job in his Dixie Belle Café. Then he decides to bring one of the POWs in to the Dixie Belle to help out in the kitchen. Over time, the soldier proves to be a quiet, steady worker, and slowly he and Caleb develop a friendship. When Caleb's parents get news that their older son has been injured and taken prisoner, he feels guilty about the relationship: How can he be civil to a person who represents the enemy? His confusion grows when he sees several POWs eating at the Dixie Belle: even though the townspeople detest them, the color of their skin allows them to be served. Furious, Caleb sits down, leading to a confrontation with Mr. Davis that provides no easy answers, but hints that his battles are just beginning. Caleb is compelling and believable, and Dudley's rich writing is impressive, clearly showing the various wars black Americans were fighting in the 1940s, both abroad and closer to home.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caleb’s War is a home front coming of age historical novel set in rural Georgia during the spring and summer of 1944. The main protagonist is Caleb Brown, 15, an intelligent, but angry, frustrated young African American man, and not without cause.

Things at home are sometimes not much better. Caleb and his father often fight and his father believes his is teaching his son to behave by beating him with a leather strap on bare skin. When his father whips him for fighting with some white boys, Caleb decides he can’t work with his father learning carpentry for the summer and ends up washing dishes at Dixie Belle Café, a restaurant he can’t eat at because it is for whites only.

Meanwhile, the town has received some German POWs to help in the fields since so many men are away at war and one, Andreas, is a trained chef and brought to work at the café. Andreas and Caleb become friends; they are, after all, both considered to be pariahs by the white townspeople. Or is this really true for both of them?

Dudley does an excellent job capturing the attitudes of white people towards African Americans ranging from condescending benevolence (the owner of the Dixie Belle Café) to unadulterated hatred (the Hill brothers.) The feeling of fear, uncertainty and anger that African Americans lived with on a daily basis is palpable, and I read many passages with anxiety, thoughts of incidents of lynching, cross burnings, fatal beatings in the back of my mind. Yet, Dudley manages to find a way of getting things across without being so graphic that a young reader would put it down.

Dudley also creates some interesting parallels without sounding forced. For example, while his beloved older brother Randall is off in Europe fighting to defend not only his own country’s freedom, but also free others oppressed by Nazism, Caleb is denied many of the basic freedoms other Americans enjoy. And around the same time that Randall is taken prisoner by the Germans, the previously hated, ostracized POWs, including Caleb’s friend Andreas, are allowed to eat in the Dixie Belle Café.

I started Caleb’s War with a great deal of enthusiasm, which remained right up until the last third of the story. At the beginning of the story, Caleb and his friends are baptized, and while he is underwater, Caleb hears a voice saying “Behold my servant.” He hears this voice more than once, eventually thinking it is the voice of God. When he witnesses the pain caused by deformed, rheumatic hands that Uncle Hiram, an elderly black man also working at the café, suffers from, Caleb offers to pray for him. Well, the next day, Uncle Hiram’s hands are straight and painless.

I thought about this element of the story a lot after I finished reading Caleb’s War. Caleb is acutely aware of the injustices that surround and control the lives of southern blacks because of the Jim Crow laws and this young man’s war is with these laws and the people who uphold them. And given the last episode and sentence of the story, I thought that without the miraculous healings, perhaps Caleb would become an early Civil Rights leaders/fighter and that was the meaning of “Behold my servant.”

After all, the name Caleb is probably not used frivolously here. In the Bible, two years after Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt; he sent 12 spies out to determine whether or not they could safely enter the Promised Land. Ten came back and said no, Caleb, however, returned saying “Let us go up at once, and occupy it; for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30) Um, shades of the Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” here. At least, I thought so.

But the healings continue to confuse me; I simply don’t know what to make of them in this particular book, since they really go nowhere. Any theories would be most welcome.

Caleb is a very likable character with a compelling coming of age story and I found I couldn’t put the book down, reading it in one sitting. This is for the most part an excellent book, and despite my reservations about the healings, I would highly recommend it.

This book is recommended for readers aged 13 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many, many issues to ponder from religion to racism to war to family. The setting and characters are vivid but it ended too soon.

[Caleb McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Caleb’s Wars by David L. Dudley, Caleb, a young African American teenage boy, lives in a small, segregated town in Georgia during World War II. Caleb lives at home with his two parents while his brother, Randall, is likely to be sent overseas to war. The presence of the German POWs in Caleb’s town are a constant reminder of what is happening in Europe. Caleb is forever intertwined in the struggle of dealing with a domineering father, dealing with racist whites, and trying to control his emotions that are constantly rushing out of him. Set in as time before the Civil Rights Movement, Caleb continues to struggle with the fact that Negroes are mistreated for no reason besides the color of their skin. After being baptized, Caleb acquires a closer relationship with God that he cannot comprehend and is hesitant to share it with others. Throughout the book he struggles with his faith as he continues to grow into a young, Christian man.
I really enjoyed this book due to its ties to Christianity and the way it talked about racism from the point of view of a teenager during the times when racism was extremely common. It really shows the reality of a young man or woman walking down their spiritual path and the problems and adversity that you will face. The way it puts segregation and racism from the eyes of an African American teenage boy is also very eye-opening. I would have to say that Caleb is my favorite character in this story due to the way he handles his brother being in the war and the bravery that he shows. The amount of adversity that Caleb goes through in this story is incomprehensible to me and I admire the strength that it took him to get through it. My favorite part of the book is when Uncle Hiram and Aunt Lou come to the door of the Brown household and show them that Uncle Hiram’s hands were healed. The way that Uncle Hiram reacted and the gratitude and praise that he gave to Caleb was enough to put tears in my eyes. I thought it was admirable the way that Caleb responded to the news from Uncle Hiram with such humility and not wanting to take credit for himself but to give it to God. I especially loved the way the scene between Mr. Davis and Caleb was written because it made me feel the emotion that they were expressing and it felt like I was there at the Dixie Bell Café listening to their altercation. This story most definitely had a hold of me from beginning to finish and didn’t let me go until I was done reading.
The ending of the story was kind of frustrating to me because it ended abruptly after Caleb and Mr. Davis’ argument in the Dixie Bell Café and kind of left me hanging. I never got to find out if Randall made it home safely, if Caleb’s dad finally became a Christian, or if Andreas remained a POW or if he returned back to Germany. I also want to find out how Caleb continued his walk with God and the things that he did later in life with his special gift.
I would give this book a five star rating due to its ability to capture a reader and take them through a crazy ride of emotion, love, confusion, and faith. Ultimately, I absolutely loved Caleb’s Wars and I would definitely recommend it.

[Heather Trim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Southern literature and philosophy professor, David L. Dudley, released his second book this week called, “Caleb’s Wars.” This historical fiction novel is about 15-year-old Caleb, who is a colored boy growing up in the Jim Crowe south. I couldn’t put this book down once I started. I love the teenage affliction of too many feelings that they don’t know what to do with them. Caleb had my heart from the beginning. He’s a good kid but his deep sense of justice compels him to vandalize and sneak out at night. Caleb is a very compelling character who makes this book an instant triumph.

Caleb’s brother is in the army and is eventually shipped off to fight overseas as they ship German POWs into their small town. Caleb doesn’t know how to feel about having to work side by side with a German POW, the enemy who seems to hate the Nazi’s as much as he does. Based before the civil rights movement began, this novel shows the deep cruelties to blacks in the south during war time and the blatant inequality. They are even categorized beneath German prisoners, all because of complexion.

“Caleb is also fighting his own personal wars, against whites, against his domineering, angry father, and even—in a way—against God.”
What’s even more interesting about “Caleb’s Wars” is the supernatural element. During his baptism one day, Caleb hears a voice he believes to be God’s. He thought maybe his friend was playing a trick on him but soon learns he was able pray healing over two very different people. This extra layer of intrigue made the book, for me because it showed that in God’s eyes, we’re all important.

RATING:
I’d rate this book as totally worth the time to read, 4 out of 5 stars: Very Good. The story was well told and the characters were complex. I could feel every emotion and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Caleb’s dad really got to me with his over-controlling nature. I wanted to run away. I wanted to fight, I wanted to vandalize. The frustration of the story built and built until Caleb couldn’t stand it any longer. I love when people actually stand up for themselves. Go Caleb!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
I talked with David L. Dudley recently and he shared where he came up with the story idea. “I read of incidents in which black soldiers in uniform were denied service in restaurants in the South. In one case, these soldiers were escorting German prisoners of war on a train, probably taking them to a prison camp. The prisoners were allowed to eat in the dining car, but the soldiers were refused service. Such discriminatory treatment—our enemies get the privilege of eating because they’re white, while our own soldiers can’t eat because they’re black—made my angry, and I decided to make it the subject of a new novel.”

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easier read than Astonishing life of Octavian Nothing or Chains, but still poingnant.
Caleb is coming of age. (ready for baptism) and dealing with a brother going to WWII. This is set in rural Georgia where races are divided the only time you would let a black into your house is when you are employing them at slave wages. The rules that are still abided by. Don't turn your back on them, and don't talk back. Don't even act educated. These disgust me. It is hard to imagine. And this book brings these divisions into reality. During the revolutionary war times I was not as surprised by the dual nature thinking. They are humand and have throught but are still a lesser breed. Then by the time of the civil war there had been enough inbreeding (generally through rape of the black women) that there was less ability to really think they were not human. It seems that by the Great wars they had turned those weird notions into more a codified system. Of power and control. The strange incarnations of bigotry were hard to sort through. Andreas would have been accepted until he spoke. And even then there was the thought he was not as bad. They could more easily transistion away from hate of German (who they were actively at war with) than they could of the folk who fed and washed them day in and out. It is hard to sort through how far we have come. It is amazing that it took yet another 30 years before those intial skirmishes could become the full culture war we know occured. 50 year later the children raised in that mind set are elected leaders. Have they had their epiphany moment or are they carrying on the family tradition of hate?
The oddity of the blessings from God were an unnecessary addition to the story. It would have been just as important. The only justification is that his "calling" gave him a bit more courage to go ahead and take that seat. It provided Aunt Lou and Uncle Hiriam a reason for walking out by his side when he finally quit, but it was not necessary to the true theme that there had to be a limit on this hatred and someone needed point out the hypocrisy.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very interesting to read this book after reading Joy De Gruy Leary's "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome". Mr. Dudley is clearly a good observer who has done his research and who has empathy with adolescent boys. Caleb, a decent kid from a relatively well-off African-American family, is simmering with anger. The anger comes from the constant, steady disrespect he and his friends and family have to endure as African-Americans in the Jim Crow south. To make matters worse, his older brother Randall has joined the army, and is in danger of being shipped overseas to fight for "democracy". It's 1944. During the course of the summer, Caleb is confirmed, stands up to his abusive father by finding his own job in a white-owned restaurant, befriends a German POW, and learns far more than any young boy should about the nature of prejudice and its fruits. It is clear that, in a few years, the lessons Caleb has absorbed (among them that a German soldier may be less of a Nazi than some White Americans, and that these same Americans will accept Randall's fighting for them, but won't accord him the respect they would give a German - Nazi or otherwise) will lead straight to the civil rights movement. Solid historical fiction which I enjoyed reading. If the story seemed a bit predictable at times to me, an adult reader, I don't think that would be true for young teen readers. An excellent adjunct to history class. Very nearly four stars. I thought the faith-healing element, which some readers objected to, worked well for this young man from this particular family. Caleb self-identifies as a Christian and an American, as well as a Negro and a member of his town and his family. He's struggling to reconcile what those things can mean, and how he can live as a fully adult human being. I did think the book ended too abruptly, which pulled it down a star for me. Nevertheless, recommended for most libraries serving Junior-high age youth.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an interview, author David L. Dudley shared his inspiration for "Caleb's War:"
“I read of incidents in which black soldiers in uniform were denied service in restaurants in the South. In one case, these soldiers were escorting German prisoners of war on a train, probably taking them to a prison camp. The prisoners were allowed to eat in the dining car, but the soldiers were refused service. Such discriminatory treatment—our enemies get the privilege of eating because they’re white, while our own soldiers can’t eat because they’re black—made my angry, and I decided to make it the subject of a new novel.”

Caleb is an angry young black man who rails against Deep South racism in 1944. Juxtaposed: Caleb's beloved older brother Randall volunteers to serve in the war while Stewart (white son of leading plantation/rich family) is not drafted (rumors have it that Stewart’s daddy bought him out of the draft).

German prisoners of war -- enemy soldiers who fought for the country that the United States is at war with -- may eat at the restaurant where Caleb works, but blacks are not served there. It is ironic that Caleb’s brother Randall is fighting for freedom overseas when basic rights are denied his family in the Jim Crow South. Caleb begins to see the German prisoner as an individual, when his brother is taken prisoner overseas and is permanently crippled. Caleb’s humanity is further tested by his sudden ability to perform faith healing (although it is not possible to heal his brother’s injuries). Author Dudley is a minister in addition to being a writer. He uses the faith healings to explore the many different ways that people are prisoners -- even those who do not serve time in a physical jail.

Racial slurs and swearing, violence, and racist situations and acts may offend some readers.

[Kevin Khanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caleb is a African American boy growing up in the south during World War II. Caleb's brother Randle is in the army, and is shipped overseas. During Caleb's Baptism he hears the voice of god. Caleb has to struggle through racism, fear for his brother, and his new found religious beliefs all at the same time.
The book has a lot of cliffhangers that make the reader eagerly anticipate the unfolding of the plot. The plot takes many interesting turns, their is not a boring moment. Andrea's, a German POW is my favorite character because is in a social caste between the white and the blacks. His perspective as an outsider is very appealing and makes you realize that segregation wasn’t all black and white. Another thing I really liked was, Caleb's love for his brother, it is an amazing and important force in the story. The intimacy between the brothers is a beautiful part of the story.
The story is shown almost entirely from Calabs point of view. I think the book would have been a lot more expressive if more viewpoints were shown. Multiple viewpoints would have given the reader a much better understanding of the setting and the time period. This would allow readers to feel as if they were in the characters shoes.
I gave the book a 4 star review, because while I do think the author could have done some things better, I loved the book. It was riveting. The author does an all around great job at pulling the reader in. This is a book that you shouldn't read if you don't have a lot of time, because it is impossible to put down.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I taught school for 35 years, and I love good YA novels. Sadly, this isn't one of them. Even within the genre of 'young adult fiction', "Caleb's Wars" fell short. I REALLY wanted to like it: Jim Crow in 1940s south, WWII, 'coming of age' through a Black perspective.... it had so many positive things to say! And Caleb is a great character, but Dudley didn't let him FINISH any of his emotional 'journeys.'
Bottom line, "Caleb's Wars" was just okay.
I think Dudley tried to squeeze too many plots and subplots into this novel. All were good, all were well intentioned, but none were fleshed out enough to satisfy. Topics like racism, Nazis, God, miracles, family interactions and coming-of-age are too deep and meaningful each in their own right, to be kind of "squished together" and never fully resolved.

Young adult historical fiction dealing with serious subject matter is a treasure when it's good. And parts of "Caleb's Wars" ARE good. I was just disappointed that so much was tackled, and so little grew to fruition.

As a former educator, I wouldn't even strongly recommend it as part of a history or African American curriculum. I wish Dudley had stuck to a topic or two and gone deeper. Instead, he STARTED Caleb down several paths...and never fully got to ANY destinations.

Again, I WANTED TO LIKE THIS BOOK, it sounded SO promising. It just didn't deliver.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caleb Brown is angry and frustrated – and rightfully so. He's a black teenager living in rural Georgia in the midst of WWII. He may not be a slave, but he is certainly not free to eat where he wants, walk where he wants, or talk how he wants. In addition, his father is controlling, manipulative, and prone to whipping Caleb as a means of discipline. His older brother Randall is a soldier in a black troop and is likely to get sent overseas. When Caleb thinks he hears the voice of God during his baptism, he is hopeful that this will be a turning point for all, or at least some, of the trouble and strife he is dealing with. Then he finds himself working with a German POW and he becomes even more uncertain of what he is doing and how he is supposed to feel.
An excellent insight to the time period, the treatment of blacks and prisoners, and the stereotypes and prejudices of those days. Tie to curriculum when possible, otherwise can be a hard sell; it needs the right audience.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't at all what I expected. I had to read it for the Historical fiction section of my YA lit class, so I was expecting historical. I wasn't expecting the Christian fiction aspect.

The story is set in the South during WWII. There was still segregation and Jim Crow laws in effect. It was an interesting read. I have not read anything from this era from an African American perspective. The inequality was hard for me to wrap my head around.

However, I did not like the ending very much. It felt kind of abrupt.

[Michelle Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never write a decent review for books. This time I feel as though I have a need to. All of Caleb's fury poured into me, and as much as I hate to admit this I was cursing out the other characters throughout the story, I was so endorsed with the author's pure way of expressing... Caleb. By the time I was at my last page and a half I simply started bawling- I could no longer hold it in. Sure, right now I could just be taken over by emotions but my thoughts about this story should be clearer than air. This story was beautiful.

[Jehred Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Caleb's Wars was interesting, unpredictable, and unique. I liked how the characters changed throughout the story. I thought it was interesting how him and Andreas his friend that happened to be a German prisoner lost their friendship because what happened to Caleb's brother in the war. I thought the book's ending was okay but could of been better it left me wondering many things and it doesn't make it any better that the author didn't make a 2 one but I thought it was a very good book

[Erin Sterling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's 1944 in Georgia, and Caleb is an African-American teenager whose brother is off fighting as a soldier in World War II when German POWs show up in Georgia. After an argument with his father, Caleb decides not to work with his dad in his carpentry shop and gets a job in the kitchen at the Dixie Bell, a fancy restaurant for white patrons. A meandering book about racism in the South during wartime and boys coming of age.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally! There’s a book about African Americans that doesn’t take place during the Civil Rights Era or slavery. Caleb’s Wars by David L. Dudley is a breath of fresh air in the young adult historical fiction genre.

Read the rest of my review here

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine YA historical novel about racism against African Americans during and after WWII. The main character's brother is a soldier and yet still finds injustice and cruelty at home. Characters to care about, a fully realized setting, and skillful dialogue make this a good choice for historical fiction.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very good book. It was written from a boys point of view telling how he was treated as free but yet a slave to the white people in his town. It told that he did not mater to anyone but for what he was able to do. It also included the time of WWI and the German POW's who were in his town were treated better than the "colored" men.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for teens. Quite honest about the plight of blacks living in the South during World War II near a German prisoner camp. I was a little disappointed with the ending because I like to have all the issues tied up. As it is, there is lots of room for class discussions regarding race relations, history, and interpersonal relationships.

[Sondra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't believe this is a contemporary book. There were so many things I didn't like about this book: the overly mischievous boys, the religious aspect, the ending. I read this with students but honestly I wouldn't recommend this book to kids. I honestly don't know who is the intended audience.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review a little later. For now ... not what I expected, for sure. (Though what did I expect?) Enjoyed it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful story about the beginnings and inspiration for the civil rights movement. This book keeps you thinking long after you read the last page.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good coming of age book.