Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy

“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 show more 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. show less

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.

Reit tells the true story of Civil War spy Emma Edmonds in this historical novel. Gripped by a passion to defend her adopted country, Emma disguises herself as a man and enlists in the Union army as field nurse Franklin Thompson. Soon, though, Emma feels that she can and should do more, and she volunteers for a string of dangerous spying missions into enemy territory.

The book reads more like a children’s biography than a novelization of the exciting life of this little-known historical figure, and that’s a shame. But it does relate some interesting stories about her missions and disguises, and the author does a good job of balancing Emma’s fervor for the Union with scenes that show the Confederate soldiers as men rather than show more monsters. It is strange and sad that Emma’s story is being lost to us, and this book will certainly awaken interest in the Civil War, and the roles women could and did play.

A good introduction, but I wonder if there’s a more substantial novelization of Emma’s life somewhere. It seems like it would make for an excellent story. show less

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.

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 show more 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. show less

This is a very quick read even for the 9-12 year age group it is intended for. Never-the-less, it is a very exciting and interesting bit of true Civil War drama. It is the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, or Emma Edmonds as she was known, a young woman, born in Canada, who, disguised as a man, became a solider, battlefield nurse, spy and detective for the Union army. Emma was sworn into the Union army as Private Franklin Thompson and served bravely and cunningly in many dangerous missions and in many disguises. She was also a devoted and skilled battlefield nurse and tended the wounded of both the Union and the Confederacy with compassion. Her career as a male soldier ended at Vicksburg when she became so ill with malaria that she had to go show more AWOL in order to escape detection as a female. Her adventures did not stop there. This book is sure to grab the interest of anyone who picks it up. It is not a great work of writing skill, being very episodic with little to link together the various elements of Emma's courageous life. The dialogue is fabricated, of course, and rather stilted, but the facts here are accurate and taken from Emma's memoirs and other historical documents. At least 400 women disguised as men fought for the North during the Civil War, but Emma's tale of espionage is perhaps the most thrilling. I highly recommend this book to young people as a wonderful introduction to the Civil War. Getting to know the people who fought this tragic and bloody war is a wonderful way to understand this astonishing chapter of American history. This book is definitely a page turner and so all the better for keeping interest high and fostering curiosity and discovery. show less

“It was not my intention, or desire, to seek my own personal ease and comfort while so much sorrow and distress filled the land. But the great question to be decided was, what can I do? What part can I myself play in this great drama?
Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit was an excellent book. It wasn't just about the civil war and the hardships of the war but about how someone that wasn't “able” to do something proved everyone wrong and was the best at it. The main character was Emma Edmonds. She wasn't an average girl, she went into the war dressed as a man. She did this because she felt that there was something she could do to help, even if it was a field nurse or first combat. She went into the army as Franklin Thomas.
She went show more behind the enemy line 11 different times and came back perfectly fine. To do this she dressed herself as other people, she pretended to be a slave and a woman. But during this time frame of the war she got sick with malaria. She couldn't go to the army’s nurse because they would figure out that she was a woman. So she left, and went to a hospital and she planed that once she got better she would return to the army.
The book over all was amazing. It was so detailed. The author did an excellent job of explaining the events that happened in this time period. When you read the book it wasn't hard to understand, once you started to read the book it just flowed. I found the book to be very interesting and I learned a lot of new things that happened in the war. I would recommend this book for anyone. It had action, adventure, and bravery. I would give it a 9 3/4 out of 10.
Once I was done reading the book, I wanted to read it over and over again. The book has taught me so much I didn't know about the civil war. The best crowd for the book would be really anyone, but I think that young girls interested in history and independence would be best. show less