Set in Civil War era Virginia, Sophia’s Gift is based on a true story about the girl Sophia Strauss, the gift of a doll, and a wounded soldier she helps to heal through friendship and kindness. When the soldier is well enough to travel, he gives Sophia a china doll she names Grace Darling, after the British Victorian icon, Grace Horsley Darling.

This fast-paced picture book speaks to the universal truths of courage, compassion, and perseverance. Such a message is eternal, and will survive any war, just as Sophia’s old doll lives on today at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

Award-winning artist Loran Chavez of Fairhope, Alabama, illustrated Sophia’s Gift with vivid watercolor spreads.  A Letter of Provenance captures the story. Color photos in Historical Note recall Victorian times.