The Horn Book Guide

BIOGRAPHIES

Jones, Carrie

Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender: The True Story of a Civil War Spy

32 pp. | Carolrhoda | April, 2011 | Trade ISBN 978-0-7613-5399-7 $17.95

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Oldroyd. Sarah Edmonds, disguised as a man, fought alongside and spied for Union troops during the Civil War. Jones enumerates these feats with touches of humor, and she continues Sarah's story throughout the war and her subsequent marriage. Oldroyd makes effective use of broad, rough-hewn brush strokes, particularly in creating an impressionistic background that frequently allows a detailed illustration of Sarah to take center stage. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011