Girl in Blue

"Girl in Blue," a novel by Ann Rinaldi, is set in 1861, during the American Civil War. Rinaldi tells the story of Sarah Louisa Wheelock, a young girl from rural Michigan who disguises herself as a man in order to serve in the Union army. Eventually she gets an assignment as a spy for the Union cause. In an "Author's Note" at the end of the novel, Rinaldi explains how her fictional Sarah was inspired by the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a real woman who impersonated a male in order to serve in the Civil War. Rinaldi also notes that certain key characters in the book are real historical figures. This is an intriguing, enjoyable story with a bold, engaging, and very admirable heroine. Rinaldi writes incisively about the war's impact on women. Also of note is her attention to the wartime role of health care providers. The practical details about Civil War espionage are fascinating. Some of the strongest parts of the book occur in the home of a suspected Confederate spy--it's a disturbingly rendered snakepit of treachery and tension. Rinaldi deals with the moral and psychological issues involved in espionage. Ultimately I see Sarah as a questing heroine in a classic mold, and Rinaldi brings her odyssey to a very moving and satisfying conclusion.

Girl in Blue is an excellent book. In this book, set in the times of the Civil War, Sarah Louisa in being harshly mistreated by her father and betrothed to an awful man who tries to touch her at every opportunity. Sarah knows she won't stand for it. She won't marry a man who she knows will beat her. So she disguises as a boy and runs away to join the army and fight for the Union. While entertaining people in the hospital, Mr. Pinkerton notices she has skil in mimicry. When her true sex is discovered, she is offered to become a spy. So the she works in a suspected spy for the Confederasy's house as a 'maid.' She learns to adapt to life in a world where she can trust know one. She also learns the true meaning of loyalty to one's country.

This Rinaldi story is thrilling and along the same lines of other books of hers. However, this offers a surprising twists every few pages. You'll always want to keep flipping those pages.

Sarah runs away from home when she learns she's to be given in marriage to a hated older neighbor, and she joins the army disguised as a man and becomes part of the Civil War and its battles. When she's eventually discovered, she moves on to become a spy in a household where information smuggling is taking place even while under occupation. Civil war history comes alive under Rinaldi's hand in this fine story, based on real events.

Sarah Louisa Wheelock grew up on a run-down Michigan farm with a domineering, abusive father, a timid mother unwilling to protect herself and her children, a crippled older brother, and two sisters, Clarice, who found her escape in marriage, and flirtatious Betsy, who could do no wrong in their father's eyes. At sixteen, Sarah longs for freedom even as the country is engulfed by the beginnings of the Civil War. Her father would have her married to their repulsive neighbor Ezekiel Kunkle, a man twice Sarah's age. But Sarah has her own plans. She runs away from home disguised as a boy and enlists in the Union Army. When her identity as a girl is discovered, Sarah is given two options - go to prison, or become a spy. Sarah chooses the latter. And undercover as a maid to Confederate agent Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Sarah becomes caught up in a dangerous conspiracy that could claim her life. Ann Rinaldi has written another thrilling historical novel. I reccomend this, her newest book, to all her fans.