Sarah Emma Edmonds Was A Great Pretender: the True Story of a Civil War Spy by Carrie Jones

Reviewed by Mrs. Bruno at Arongen

Are you daring, courageous and bold? Have you pretended to be someone you are not? You may be a risk-taker like Sarah Emma Edmonds. In 1841, Sarah was born in Canada. She always had a sense of adventure. Her father always wanted a son and Sarah new that boys had more freedom than girls. When she grew older, Sarah cut her hair short, dressed as a man and pretended to be a Bible salesman. In 1861, during the Civil War, Sarah became a male nurse and helped the Union Army. Using silver nitrate to darken her skin, she pretended to be an African-American male while she was spying against the Confederate soldiers. She was very versatile in the acting roles she played when she posed as an Irish peddler woman and an African-American laundress woman to gain information about the war. Nothing would stop Sarah except a visit to the hospital where she feared being discovered. Read more about the bravery and patriotism of this unique person named Sarah Emma Edmonds.