Frank Thompson: Her Civil War Story

by Bryna Stevens

Provides a fascinating portrait of Sarah Emma Edmondson, a young Canadian woman who disguised herself as a man to avoid an unwanted marriage and distinguished herself during the Civil War by masquerading as a male nurse and spy for the Union Army.

Genres: History

144 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 1992

Reviews

[Brennan H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am currently reading a book called, Frank Thompson, Her Civil War Story, by Bryna Stevens. This is a true biography about a Candian girl named Emma Edmonds who drssed up like a man to fight in the Civil War. At first she was too petiete, so she starded as a "boy" nurse. Then, later on, she became a spy. The weird part was, she had to be a women spy!! She was a girl, disguiesd as a man, then dressed up like a woman. She was so good at being a women, a rumor started. Could this small, little man actully be a girl?


This book really amazes me. I mean, a girl, dressed up like a man to fight in a counrty she didn't live in! Emma Edmonds (Frank Thompson) wrote her own book called Nurse and Spy. in the book I am reading, it has entries from Nurse and Spy, as well as her and others diary entries. Emma sort of reminds me of me, but only because she and I both like to write. I would never, in a million years, find the courage to do what Emma has done! This book is filled to the top with bravery, love, and heartbreaks. I would highly reccomend this book to boys or girls who like to learn about their nations history. overall I rate this book 5 stars!!! It is just so amazing!!

(P.S.) READ THE BOOK!!!!

[Sam Smerbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Frank Thomas: Her Civil War Story
Author: Bryna Stevens
Illustrator: Bryna Stevens
Genre: Biography Grade 3-5
Theme(s): War, Trickery, Adversity, Bravery
Opening Line/Sentence: Emma Edmonds Seelye lived about one hundred years ago, yet her life is still relevant.
Brief Book Summary:
Emma Edmonds disguised herself as a man to serve in the Union Army during the civil war. She started out as a nurse, then moved on to a mail carrier, then finally to a spy. She put on several different disguises and revealed much important information for the North. She never went to the hospital even after the war ended because her secret might have been revealed.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1992) 
Facing an unwanted marriage, Emma Edmonds ran away, escaping pursuit by donning man's clothing and joining the Union army. Though undiscovered throughout the war, she may have confided in and courted the attentions of several men. As "Frank Thompson," she was field nurse, postal rider, and spy, sometimes slipping behind Confederate lines. An excellent rider, a sure shot, and remarkably brave, Emma was in the thick of Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. After the war, she resumed a woman's role, marrying a man she deeply loved; she described her adventures, in a mannered but lucid style, in her Nurse and Spy, occasionally quoted here. Stevens carefully differentiates between fact and supposition, explaining that Emma was good at deception and may well have embroidered her account. Pointing out what's authenticated, she notes where Emma's story may ring false, quoting other sources. While the tale's full of action and adventure, thoughtful readers will also be interested in Emma's struggle against women's second-rate status, the contrast between the romantic vision of war and its grim reality, and the intriguing question of who may have detected Emma's female identity. A fascinating account of an uncommonly enigmatic woman. List of sources; period photos & prints; index. 1992, Macmillan, $13.95. © 1992 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. 
(PUBLISHER: Macmillan Pub. Co. ;Maxwell Macmillan Canada ;Maxwell Macmillan International (New York:) (Toronto:) (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1992.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Roger Sutton (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, December 1992 (Vol. 46, No. 4)) 
Born in Canada in 1841, Emma Edmonds, determined to avoid an arranged marriage, ran away from home, eventually disguising herself as "FrankThompson, itinerant Bible salesman. Emma's longing for adventure also led her to join up with the Union Army during the Civil War, still disguised as Frank, a masquerade she successfully carried off through her entire wartime stint as nurse, soldier, and spy. It's a great, valorous story, filled with feminist lessons for our time, but the real character of Emma/Frank is somewhat difficult to glean from this biography. For one thing, the author includes a lot of military history about the battles in which Frank participated, and it's both too much and not enough: in one incident, Frank is spying in the Union state of Kentucky when she is drafted by a local official to serve in the Confederate Army. This is entirely probable, but the author needs to explain the confused state of affairs in Kentucky at that time. Another problem is the author's second-guessing of Edmonds' own autobiography, particularly when it comes to finding Emma a boyfriend: "Emma was hiding her true emotions; when she said she found their new friendship 'very pleasant,' she was no doubt downplaying her feelings of love for the lieutenant." In the next chapter, the same lieutenant is unequivocally Emma's "sweetheart," although the author offers no evidence for any relationship beyond friendship. Edmonds' story can survive the innuendo, however, and it brings an intriguing voice and new perspective to Civil War study. A bibliography, index, and some period prints and photographs are included. Ad--Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 1992, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1992, Macmillan, 144p; illus. with photographs, $13.95. Grades 6-10. 
(PUBLISHER: Macmillan Pub. Co. ;Maxwell Macmillan Canada ;Maxwell Macmillan International (New York:) (Toronto:) (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1992.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both reviews go over the plot line very well and provide excellent details on important events in the book. Both reviewers also mention the lack of clarity behind the ending of the book, specifically with Emma’s “boyfriend”. The first reviewer just poses a question as to who it was, while the second reviewer starts dissecting this notion of Emma having a significant other.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
There are only a few pictures in this book which means most of the visualization is done in the text. The vocabulary words are perfect for children in grades 3-5. The words are easy to understand and the format of the sentences make it easy to stay engaged and comprehend what is going on.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
There are all kinds of things to do in the classroom book, beginning with explaining the civil war and it’s trademark events. Having my students reenact it while perhaps throwing in a secret spy on each team would be fun, and it would be the team’s job to figure out who is not on their side.