This is a light retelling of Emma Edmonds' adventures during the American Civil War. She enlisted as a man and served in several capacities as a male soldier for the Union Army. This book is definitely written for young readers but provides an engaging overview of this brave woman's life. It has inspired me to read Emma Edmonds' own telling of her story. ( )

“But how could you know the limits of your courage if you never put it to the test?”
― Seymour Reit, Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy

This book is at once educational, inspiring and just fascinating.

Emma Edmonds was a smart and I'd say fearless, woman who was just a girl during the Civil War. She wanted to help the Northerners in battle but how could she? Women, after all, were not allowed to fight. And she did not want to stay on the edges doing something like sending Postcards. She wanted to make a difference. She wanted to change the world.

And she did.

Emma joined the forces by posing as a boy. At the time, they were desperate for troops. She slipped into costume easily. And nobody found out her secret during the entire time she was with them.

She started as a Nurse but in time, she would become a super spy, utilizing various disguises to penetrate the Confederate armies. She posed as a Slave. As an old lady. And even as a "distinguised gent".

Nobody ever found out her secret and her reputation as a Spy grew. It was only that she was known as a "he"

I had never heard of Emma but am sure glad I read about her. The book is short and those who expect alot of detail maybe let down. This is a good book but it is light on details and I am sure any reader will have additional questions. Luckily, at the end, the writer includes an index on other works where we can read more about Emma.

If there is one thing that saddens me it is that Emma wrote her own memoir but the writer explains it is very difficult to find and only a few copies even exist anymore. That is sad because I'd have adored reading her own Memoir.

This woman had so much courage and she made a difference. I mean..I could never do what she did and I doubt many people could. Her story is a fascinating one and for people who enjoy Historical Bios, you should read this book and get to know Emma and her story of courage, hope and salvation. ( )

it was good. quick read. not awful but not a wow either. She's an interesting woman I just feel like either there wasn't enough information or wasn't elaborate enough. ( )

This quick story made me want to know much more about the fascinating Emma Edmonds. HOw could she have pulled off these disguises so convincingly? My two star rating is due to the fact that this is a book clearly meant for a younger reader and I don't think the author puts some of the racial commentary in the proper context for a student that does not know much about this period of history. ( )

What a wonderful story. We see a young Canadian girl determined to stand up for her country and her people. Her only problem is that she is a woman. This did not stop her, Emma Edimonds decides to enroll in the military and fight in the Civil War as a man! She disguised herself as just that. She fooled them all and was able to fight for freedom. This book takes the readers through the good and the bad times of her courageous journey. While this book is very entertaining there are many moments where the author takes us through Edimond's hardest of times. We see the times of sorrow, loss, and fear but we also see a beautiful story with great memories made and lessons learned. The author wrote a very organized and well written story but what I liked the most is that it was written in third person. This way, we see a different perspective of the story. Edimonds is not the average woman of her time. She was a strong minded, strong willed, and strong headed woman who would not let any obstacle come between and her goal. What was surprising to me was the amount of other woman who were doing the same thing. It was estimated that there were actually around 400 women disguised as men during the Civil War. I think this book would be an excellent read for children between the ages of 9-12. ( )