Women of the Blue and Gray

July 2, 2018
In her solid follow-up to Frontier Grit, creative writing instructor Monson tells the stories of women from both sides of the Civil War in “an attempt to rescue from the shadowy corners incredible stories of women from war that remain relevant to our world today.” To accomplish this, she alternates thematic chapters with biographical ones focusing on individuals, ending each with a brief list of suggested readings. The biographies zing with personality and page-turning prose, and while some of the subjects—nurse Susie Baker King Taylor, medical doctor Mary Walker, and Union recruiter and abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd Cary—will be well-known to Civil War aficionados, there are less-recognized figures presented as well, among them Anna Ella Carroll, an adviser to the Union government, and Cornelia Peake McDonald, a Confederate diarist. The thematic chapters cover a variety of topics, including cross-dressing women who served as soldiers, medical care, the experiences of enslaved people, and the Native American women whose home regions became war zones and whose male relatives enlisted on both sides. They provide some background information for the biography chapters, but the organization can be haphazard (for instance, seven chapters separate McDonald’s story from “Ink of Centuries: The Diarists.”) But this entertaining and accessible book is a suitable introduction for readers beginning their foray into Civil War history. Illus.

July 1, 2018
Finally! The women of the Civil War period receive some strong attention in this excellent collection of biographical sketches. Monson hails from a literary background, and her approach to this enormously overlooked history possesses a dramatic narrative appeal that reflects her novelist expertise. By covering a wide range of the female experience, from soldiers and spies to nurses, diarists, activists, and even a military strategist, Monson succeeds impressively in her mission to consider as many wartime female perspectives as possible. The diversity of her subjects is also outstanding, with profiles of Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Native American women. The background provided for each biographical category is also illuminating, and readers will delight in the utter absence of dull language. History-loving book clubs will find much to discuss here, and students of all ages (especially of women's history) will find it an excellent resource. Don't dismiss this as a routine resource: Women of the Blue & Gray is full of surprises.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)