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Girl In Blue
As an adolescent, Sarah Louisa Wheelock vowed never to let a man control her. With this unshakable conviction, she abandoned her life on a Michigan farm and disguised herself as a boy so she could fight in the Civil War. Ann Rinaldi¹s well-researched and superbly wrought narrative illuminates the courage and audacity of this colorful historical figure.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
45 people are currently reading
2156 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rinaldi
69 books986 followersAnn Rinaldi (b. August 27, 1934, in New York City) is a young adult fiction author. She is best known for her historical fiction, including In My Father's House, The Last Silk Dress, An Acquaintance with Darkness, A Break with Charity, and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons. She has written a total of forty novels, eight of which were listed as notable by the ALA. In 2000, Wolf by the Ears was listed as one the best novels of the preceding twenty-five years, and later of the last one hundred years. She is the most prolific writer for the Great Episode series, a series of historical fiction novels set during the American Colonial era. She also writes for the Dear America series.
Rinaldi currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Ron, whom she married in 1960. Her career, prior to being an author, was a newspaper columnist. She continued the column, called The Trentonian, through much of her writing career. Her first published novel, Term Paper, was written in 1979. Prior to this, she wrote four unpublished books, which she has called "terrible." She became a grandmother in 1991.
Rinaldi says she got her love of history from her eldest son, who brought her to reenactments. She says that she writes young adult books "because I like to write them."
Rinaldi currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Ron, whom she married in 1960. Her career, prior to being an author, was a newspaper columnist. She continued the column, called The Trentonian, through much of her writing career. Her first published novel, Term Paper, was written in 1979. Prior to this, she wrote four unpublished books, which she has called "terrible." She became a grandmother in 1991.
Rinaldi says she got her love of history from her eldest son, who brought her to reenactments. She says that she writes young adult books "because I like to write them."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
February 9, 2009
The official summary is:
Ever since she read "Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain" Sarah Louisa Wheelock has vowed that she will never allow a man to control her life. When her father promises her hand in marriage to their despicable neighbor Ezekiel Kunkle, Sarah knows that she has no other choice but to leave home. She cleverly disguises herself as a man and joins the Union Greys, a regiment that becomes part of the 2nd Michigan infantry during the Civil War. Sarah, known to the other soldiers as Neddy Compton, works as a male nurse. One day, while she is entertaining the wounded soldiers, General Mclellan, commander in chief of the union army, observes Sarah's talent for mimicry. Later, when Sarah is found to be a woman, Mclellan introduces her to his friend Allan Pinkerton, head of the Pinkerton Detective agency, who offers her a position as a woman operative. Sarah's first assignment is to investigate Rose Greenhow, who is thought to be a spy for the South.
In my opinion, the book is excellent. It has action, romance, and is factually correct in the portions of the story that are not fiction (i.e. Rose Greenhow was actually a spy for the South). It includes much detail about Sarah's emotions and it specifically updates the chapters with the location and time they take place. The only bad thing in this story is the ending,which is really quite terrible, and it leaves the romance part of the book in a cliff-hanger, but other than that it is an incredible book.
Ever since she read "Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain" Sarah Louisa Wheelock has vowed that she will never allow a man to control her life. When her father promises her hand in marriage to their despicable neighbor Ezekiel Kunkle, Sarah knows that she has no other choice but to leave home. She cleverly disguises herself as a man and joins the Union Greys, a regiment that becomes part of the 2nd Michigan infantry during the Civil War. Sarah, known to the other soldiers as Neddy Compton, works as a male nurse. One day, while she is entertaining the wounded soldiers, General Mclellan, commander in chief of the union army, observes Sarah's talent for mimicry. Later, when Sarah is found to be a woman, Mclellan introduces her to his friend Allan Pinkerton, head of the Pinkerton Detective agency, who offers her a position as a woman operative. Sarah's first assignment is to investigate Rose Greenhow, who is thought to be a spy for the South.
In my opinion, the book is excellent. It has action, romance, and is factually correct in the portions of the story that are not fiction (i.e. Rose Greenhow was actually a spy for the South). It includes much detail about Sarah's emotions and it specifically updates the chapters with the location and time they take place. The only bad thing in this story is the ending,which is really quite terrible, and it leaves the romance part of the book in a cliff-hanger, but other than that it is an incredible book.
July 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this book - the plot was fascinating! I mean, who wouldn't like a story about a girl turned soldier turned spy... I really loved learning more about Rose Greenhow, a very interesting character that I've heard about before. As a fan of Civil War history, I loved being able to be immersed in the history of this multi-faceted time period. The main reason this book is 4* instead of 5 is because of the writing style - I often found it choppy and somewhat basic. If the writing style had flowed better this definitely would've been a 5* read for me!
February 17, 2009
My favorite character was Sarah Louisa. Sarah was my favorite character because she is such a strong and sociable person who is very brave and courageous. My least favorite character was Rose Greenhow. She was my least favorite because of the way she acts around Sheldon, who is one of the lieutenants watching what happens and what comes in and what goes out of Mrs. Greenhow’s house. I believe the author wrote this book to capture the reader’s mind and take them back to the year of 1861, and to let the reader get an idea of what life was like during the Civil War. The portion of the book that captured my mind is the part when Sarah is recommended to a detective agency owned by Mr. Pinkerton, and is given her first assignment, which is a really huge assignment. I wasn’t able to predict the ending of the book; I was very surprised at how it ended. If this book was made into a movie, I have no idea which actors I would choose to play the characters. The book caused me to feel a variety of feelings. At times when I was reading the book I felt happy, at other times I felt scared or frightened. What kept me reading was the excitement and mystery in each of the chapters. My favorite line is found on pages 144, “Three things were all she had to really know about Rose Greenhow.” I would recommend this book to my friends and family, as well as, some of my teachers.
December 26, 2020
I enjoyed this. I had never heard about the women who disguised themselves to join both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, as well as the women who worked as spies at that time, and so it was interesting to read this historical fiction and learn more about that. Good book and a quick and interesting read, but it did feel a bit choppy to me in some places.
I would love to read more about the Civil War- both fiction and non-fiction- since that feels like a weak point in my repertoire.
I would love to read more about the Civil War- both fiction and non-fiction- since that feels like a weak point in my repertoire.
January 7, 2018
Girl in Blue by Ann Rinaldi tells the story of Sarah, a girl who runs away from her home to join the Union army in the Civil War, disguised as a man. When she first arrives at the camp her job is to help Doctor Hammond who is a surgeon. She goes into town and gathers good food so the sick and injured soldiers can have nicer and more beneficial food. After a while in the camp Sarah experiences her first battle. She tries to get through the whole battle without killing anyone but eventually has to defend herself and shoot a man who later dies. Sarah makes it through the battle without any injuries but her identity is soon discovered by the general and her job was changed. She became a spy that pretended to be a maid for a woman who secretly delivers important messages to the Confederate army. The woman had a daughter and Sarah and her became very close. They became so close that the daughter gave Sarah a riddle that reveals where her mothers diary is hidden. Sarah finds it under the stairs and turns it in. After finding the diary they were able to find out one way the woman got messages out but Sarah was not able to stay much longer after that because she became sick and had to leave the house. Later, she becomes well enough to see her parents one last time, but still in disguise. Then, she went back on her way to her next job.
Girl in Blue is a novel that looks into the life of a woman named Sarah, as she goes on her journey as a Union soldier then spy during the Civil War. Although it talks about made up events, they are things that probably happened to many soldiers in real life. It pulls you in and helps you understand what some soldiers and spies actually had to do to serve. You hear the thoughts of Sarah as she goes through many days trying to hide the fact she is actually a woman. During which you could relate and understand some of the fear and other emotions she is feels. Throughout the story she becomes much more vulnerable and emotional due to the relationships she made with other people she met. It’s a book I would recommend to many people around my age. It does use some older language since it is set in the 1860s and it may confuse a younger audience. It also obviously has a little violence because it is a book about war. It doesn’t have a huge amount of violence but I would not recommend it to some very young people or people that aren’t comfortable with violence. Girl in Blue written by Ann Rinaldi tells the story of Sarah as she grows to be a stronger and smarter woman during a fight where she served her beliefs surrounding the equality of man.
Girl in Blue is a novel that looks into the life of a woman named Sarah, as she goes on her journey as a Union soldier then spy during the Civil War. Although it talks about made up events, they are things that probably happened to many soldiers in real life. It pulls you in and helps you understand what some soldiers and spies actually had to do to serve. You hear the thoughts of Sarah as she goes through many days trying to hide the fact she is actually a woman. During which you could relate and understand some of the fear and other emotions she is feels. Throughout the story she becomes much more vulnerable and emotional due to the relationships she made with other people she met. It’s a book I would recommend to many people around my age. It does use some older language since it is set in the 1860s and it may confuse a younger audience. It also obviously has a little violence because it is a book about war. It doesn’t have a huge amount of violence but I would not recommend it to some very young people or people that aren’t comfortable with violence. Girl in Blue written by Ann Rinaldi tells the story of Sarah as she grows to be a stronger and smarter woman during a fight where she served her beliefs surrounding the equality of man.
June 29, 2018
I read this book many times when I was a young teen, and decided to re-read it just last week. It's a quick read - I read it at night before bed, and it took a total of maybe four hours to finish - and that suited the story well! The writing is a lot of tell vs. show, particularly in the beginning of the novel, but there is definitely enough in there to get a firm grasp on Sarah as a character. She is easy to empathize with, and so are her motivations and reactions. She made strong decisions throughout the novel, and took responsibility for them. I actually didn't remember the end of this book prior to my re-reading (aka, spoilers incoming), but I was honestly pleasantly surprised when Sarah and her love interest, Sheldon, didn't end up together. It was genuinely refreshing to see this in a novel I'd consider marketed toward young girls! Additionally, the choice to leave the novel after Sarah has visited her parents' farm in disguise and discovered how her family has been faring was lovely, in my view. It's a three out of five for me primarily due to preference for writing that does more showing, but this is a well-written, well-concieved novel with a relatable main character and plenty in it to appreciate.
May 19, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It didn’t really capture my interest as much but it was very good. It was loosely based on real historic events which I really enjoyed. I don’t recall learning about this part of the Civil War in history class.
“It was not home to her. It was a place to get away from.”
“It was not home to her. It was a place to get away from.”
September 30, 2016
SPOILERS!!
Summer of 2011, I visited PA with my family. We took the time to visit Gettysburg. We stopped in a little bookshop near by. My mom told me I could pick one book to bring home so I got this one. This book is set in Michigan, 1861. Sarah lives with her abusive father who wants her to marry their crude neighbor who has several children. but the day that he calls for her, she is gone. She runs away to flint Michigan to live with her aunt. On her way there she meets a young man who is insisting in the army. He tells her that he is not 18 and they don't check if you are. In turn, our protagonist disguises herself as a boy and joins the military herself. She is put in the hospital to work as a gopher before she is placed in the battle field where she shoots a man. Her reaction is a heart ache as she desperately tries to save the man she injured. Soon, she falls asleep at night to the ringing sound of gunshots and the lingering image of blood. Eventually, the doctor that she works for sends her on a mission to retrieve medicine from a doctor on the southern side. She meets the doctors wife in the process who ends up shooting her and reports her as a female. Now, the normal punishment for such a thing would be death in the 1860's. But the doctor had a better idea. He tells her of his friend in pinkerton who would let her work as a spy. Soon she is trained as a maid for Rose Greenhow. Her mission is to find a secret diary and with the help of the daughter and captain sheldon, she succeeds. She falls in love with the Captian until she discovers that he is also a spy when she catches him in the arms of Rose. Quickly she turns him in and becomes quite depressed. Eventually she decides to return home to see her family but still disguised as a man. She finds out that her father died in an "accident" and her sister has gone off to marry the neighbor. Her mother lets her inside and gives her food as a thank you for serving the country. The only person who recognizes her is her younger brother and their dog. After saying her goodbyes, she returns to Pinkerton to continue work as a spy.
Summer of 2011, I visited PA with my family. We took the time to visit Gettysburg. We stopped in a little bookshop near by. My mom told me I could pick one book to bring home so I got this one. This book is set in Michigan, 1861. Sarah lives with her abusive father who wants her to marry their crude neighbor who has several children. but the day that he calls for her, she is gone. She runs away to flint Michigan to live with her aunt. On her way there she meets a young man who is insisting in the army. He tells her that he is not 18 and they don't check if you are. In turn, our protagonist disguises herself as a boy and joins the military herself. She is put in the hospital to work as a gopher before she is placed in the battle field where she shoots a man. Her reaction is a heart ache as she desperately tries to save the man she injured. Soon, she falls asleep at night to the ringing sound of gunshots and the lingering image of blood. Eventually, the doctor that she works for sends her on a mission to retrieve medicine from a doctor on the southern side. She meets the doctors wife in the process who ends up shooting her and reports her as a female. Now, the normal punishment for such a thing would be death in the 1860's. But the doctor had a better idea. He tells her of his friend in pinkerton who would let her work as a spy. Soon she is trained as a maid for Rose Greenhow. Her mission is to find a secret diary and with the help of the daughter and captain sheldon, she succeeds. She falls in love with the Captian until she discovers that he is also a spy when she catches him in the arms of Rose. Quickly she turns him in and becomes quite depressed. Eventually she decides to return home to see her family but still disguised as a man. She finds out that her father died in an "accident" and her sister has gone off to marry the neighbor. Her mother lets her inside and gives her food as a thank you for serving the country. The only person who recognizes her is her younger brother and their dog. After saying her goodbyes, she returns to Pinkerton to continue work as a spy.
March 1, 2010
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.
March 13, 2009
When I was in middle/high school, I used to gobble up Ann Rinaldi books like a starving person. Her specialty was historical fiction that fed both into my love of American history and my desire for romance and adventure. That her novels all featured strong, independent young women as their protagonists was, of course, always a plus. Although I never read this one, I really enjoyed it. The complexities of the American Civil War have always fascinated me, and this story of a young girl who runs away from an abusive home and a horrible engagement to join the Union Army is thoughtful and engaging. Interesting ideas brought up about the nature of patriotism, loyalty, espionage, the role of women, and human relationships. When your only complaint about a novel at the end was that it ended too soon, that is, perhaps, a good thing. :-)
November 16, 2021
This book was okay for me. I liked the Civil War setting and how Sarah was dressed up as a boy and ran away but I was at times very confused of what happened. Like Rose was a spy but I thought Sarah was suppose to be spying on her. I also was disappointed because my Aunt told me that she would be hiding as a soldier and most of the story Sarah wasn't. So the book was okay but not my favorite. It also wasn't a romance and I am a romance book nerd so it was nice to switch but it's okay. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a historical book, a book that takes place in The Civil War, or girls dressing up as boys to fight in wars.
April 9, 2009
An interesting story about a girl who survives the first Battle of the Civil War dressed as a man and, when she's found out, goes on to work as an agent for Allan Pinkerton, the detective in charge of keeping an eye on Washington's most notorious spy, Rose Greenhow. Sarah has good reason to flee her abusive father and helpless family, and she deals with every setback with realistic emotion and practicality.
February 5, 2018
One of my young women at church (12-years-old) recommended this book recently in a conversation so I decided to check it out. I really enjoyed it. I also always love the historic note at the end that clarifies what is based in fact and what is fiction. I'd totally read more Ann Rinaldi for sure! Sarah was a great character and I was excited to learn how many other women there were like her in the historical notes -- woman power! ;)
August 30, 2022
This was an interesting historical fiction story about a girl at the beginning of the Civil War. She initially pretends to be a boy and enlists in the Union army, then in the second part of the story she works undercover in the house of Rose Greenhow, a famous Confederate spy under house arrest in Washington. I enjoyed learning more details about this period of history.
August 17, 2012
Great Story!
July 26, 2015
Finished it a while ago at camp. Really good considering it was for school. Ending was not satisfactory but I don't think I'll continue the trilogy because I have other TBR's I'm more interested in.
December 8, 2020
2.5 Stars
I read a lot of Ann Rinaldi books as a teenager. Historical fiction was my first love and I really enjoyed her books. I've always been fascinated by the American Civil War period, so when I came across this one as an adult, I knew I wanted to read it. As I expected, it was a quick and engaging read. There's something about Rinaldi's writing style that just makes her books effortless. They flow quickly for me, and I appreciate that. The story was also interesting, but there were a few things that bothered me.
First, the summary mentions romance, but it was almost nonexistent. In fact, I kept expecting the romantic interest to be someone else. There was no chemistry, and as a reader, I was never given any indication as to why romantic feelings would have developed between the two parties. I was just told at some point that they supposedly had feelings for each other. So, what little was there wasn't even believable. That story thread really just distracted me because I was expecting something else. I think I would have enjoyed the story more without it, or at least without it being in the teaser.
My second, and much larger issue, was with the main character herself. I liked following her around, but I never really connected with her. I never got a good sense of her motivations. At the beginning, she ran away to join the army because she had a bad home life. That's fine, but at some point, I expected to learn more about her convictions and beliefs. Why did she specifically join the army? She could have run away and done something else - perhaps become a nurse. She even seemed interested in that line of work but insisted on fighting and spying instead, even though she was conflicted about her choices through the entire book. But...why?
It was never clear that she had any deep patriotic or moral beliefs about the war that would motivate her, apart from a very generic, "I want to serve my country." Participating in a war would naturally cause complicated emotions, so that could have been compelling if it had been explored more deeply. As it is, however, it just felt like a lack of character development. The best rationale I could come up with is that she was determined to be independent and escape the kind of life expected of her. But even then, she often seemed to just be going where the current took her, rather than making her own decisions. It didn't make the story less interesting, but it did make it more superficial and forgettable, in my opinion.
I will also say the ending felt a bit depressing and a certain plot point seemed very unrealistic to me. While certainly not my favorite Rinaldi book, I still enjoyed the time I spent with it and how quickly it moved along. And I always appreciate her author's notes at the end that give further insight into the historical facts. For these reasons, I am rounding up to 3 stars.
I read a lot of Ann Rinaldi books as a teenager. Historical fiction was my first love and I really enjoyed her books. I've always been fascinated by the American Civil War period, so when I came across this one as an adult, I knew I wanted to read it. As I expected, it was a quick and engaging read. There's something about Rinaldi's writing style that just makes her books effortless. They flow quickly for me, and I appreciate that. The story was also interesting, but there were a few things that bothered me.
First, the summary mentions romance, but it was almost nonexistent. In fact, I kept expecting the romantic interest to be someone else. There was no chemistry, and as a reader, I was never given any indication as to why romantic feelings would have developed between the two parties. I was just told at some point that they supposedly had feelings for each other. So, what little was there wasn't even believable. That story thread really just distracted me because I was expecting something else. I think I would have enjoyed the story more without it, or at least without it being in the teaser.
My second, and much larger issue, was with the main character herself. I liked following her around, but I never really connected with her. I never got a good sense of her motivations. At the beginning, she ran away to join the army because she had a bad home life. That's fine, but at some point, I expected to learn more about her convictions and beliefs. Why did she specifically join the army? She could have run away and done something else - perhaps become a nurse. She even seemed interested in that line of work but insisted on fighting and spying instead, even though she was conflicted about her choices through the entire book. But...why?
It was never clear that she had any deep patriotic or moral beliefs about the war that would motivate her, apart from a very generic, "I want to serve my country." Participating in a war would naturally cause complicated emotions, so that could have been compelling if it had been explored more deeply. As it is, however, it just felt like a lack of character development. The best rationale I could come up with is that she was determined to be independent and escape the kind of life expected of her. But even then, she often seemed to just be going where the current took her, rather than making her own decisions. It didn't make the story less interesting, but it did make it more superficial and forgettable, in my opinion.
I will also say the ending felt a bit depressing and a certain plot point seemed very unrealistic to me. While certainly not my favorite Rinaldi book, I still enjoyed the time I spent with it and how quickly it moved along. And I always appreciate her author's notes at the end that give further insight into the historical facts. For these reasons, I am rounding up to 3 stars.
Read
June 5, 2023Did not like this book at all. There was some content in here I really didn’t like, and it had some major facts wrong.
August 10, 2012
Sixteen year old Sarah has lived at the mercies of an abusive and overbearing father her entire life, but she refuses to be handed off like property to a neighbor twice her age just so that he can help out on the farm and she can raise his three motherless children. She’s determined to get away, and to serve her country as she knows she has the skill to do–as a soldier. Sarah is an accomplished marksman, she’s brave, and she has no interest or intentions towards men other than serving beside them. Her biggest issue isn’t even that she’s a girl, it’s that she’s sixteen. Sarah perfects the art of mimicry and lying in order to make her way into the ranks, where she distinguishes herself and finds unique employment with the nation’s first detective agency.
I don’t know if it’s my recent disappointment in Fever 1793, my childhood love of Ann Rinaldi, or my tendency to adore stories about girls who dress as boys, but I devoured Girl in Blue, and enjoyed every second of it. Ann Rinaldi was probably my favorite author when I was about ten years old, and then somehow I completely forgot about her until one day she was mentioned in a Twitter conversation with Tara (Hobbitsies) and Amy (Tripping Over Books). I knew immediately that I must read something by her as an adult to see if my enjoyment of her stood up. So I wandered into the Tween shelving at my library to see which of her books they had, and when I saw Girl in Blue, the story of a girl running off to fight as a soldier in the Civil War, I knew I’d found my match.
Ann Rinaldi writes fantastic historical fiction for middle grade and young adult readers that is not only well researched and accurate to history, it is full of rich characters and stories that will transport any reader to another time. To my knowledge, all of her books feature strong female characters (if anyone’s read one of her’s with a male lead, let me know), and the bulk of those I read as a child took place during or around the Revolutionary War. I did note that she’s departed from this more in the years that I neglected her work, and I was excited to pick up something that took place during the Civil War. I learned from Girl in Blue that there were, in fact, at least 100 known women who fought as men during the Civil War. The character Sarah was based on one such young woman, Sarah Emma Edmonds, though their actual stories varied greatly. The detective agency that Sarah becomes involved with also actually existed, as the first such agency in the country. I loved that Girl in Blue was packed with excitement and intrigue, all of which touched on actual people and events–the best type of historical fiction there is!
Sarah is precisely the type of girl we all love to read about. She’s independent, strong, and brave. Sarah’s only known men to treat her unkindly, so she’s certainly not one to moon over them, and yet she’s open to serving beside them with honor. The story of Girl in Blue is unexpected and in constant motion, unpredictable and never dull. Ann Rinaldi manages to show the blurred lines between two sides of a conflict, and paint with accuracy the intensity of feelings and loyalties during the Civil War. In addition, Girl in Blue reflects the important rolls that women played, not only as soldiers, but as nurses, spies, informants, and general support. My only complaint about the story, was that the ending seemed a little off. It was somewhat rushed, and required a greater suspension of disbelief than the rest of the story, which I was unable to muster. Regardless of this, Girl in Blue is highly recommended.
Here’s one of my favorite pieces of writing from Girl in Blue:
“This house is like an ark, isn’t it?” Little Rose asked then. “Did you ever think that? We’re all in here together and sometimes we fight like animals. Only there’s no flood outside.”
Oh, yes, there is, Sarah thought, even as she marveled at the child’s insights. Oh, yes, there is a flood outside. And I feel the waters, rising and rising and rising.
“You know what I think, Sarah? I think that when God made all those animals, He was practicing. He made them all different shapes and sizes, and He just kept on practicing. For when He made man. But He had to practice a lot, first. That’s why the animals are all so different-looking. What do you think?”
“Sometimes,” Sarah said, “I think He didn’t practice enough.”
Review originally posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
I don’t know if it’s my recent disappointment in Fever 1793, my childhood love of Ann Rinaldi, or my tendency to adore stories about girls who dress as boys, but I devoured Girl in Blue, and enjoyed every second of it. Ann Rinaldi was probably my favorite author when I was about ten years old, and then somehow I completely forgot about her until one day she was mentioned in a Twitter conversation with Tara (Hobbitsies) and Amy (Tripping Over Books). I knew immediately that I must read something by her as an adult to see if my enjoyment of her stood up. So I wandered into the Tween shelving at my library to see which of her books they had, and when I saw Girl in Blue, the story of a girl running off to fight as a soldier in the Civil War, I knew I’d found my match.
Ann Rinaldi writes fantastic historical fiction for middle grade and young adult readers that is not only well researched and accurate to history, it is full of rich characters and stories that will transport any reader to another time. To my knowledge, all of her books feature strong female characters (if anyone’s read one of her’s with a male lead, let me know), and the bulk of those I read as a child took place during or around the Revolutionary War. I did note that she’s departed from this more in the years that I neglected her work, and I was excited to pick up something that took place during the Civil War. I learned from Girl in Blue that there were, in fact, at least 100 known women who fought as men during the Civil War. The character Sarah was based on one such young woman, Sarah Emma Edmonds, though their actual stories varied greatly. The detective agency that Sarah becomes involved with also actually existed, as the first such agency in the country. I loved that Girl in Blue was packed with excitement and intrigue, all of which touched on actual people and events–the best type of historical fiction there is!
Sarah is precisely the type of girl we all love to read about. She’s independent, strong, and brave. Sarah’s only known men to treat her unkindly, so she’s certainly not one to moon over them, and yet she’s open to serving beside them with honor. The story of Girl in Blue is unexpected and in constant motion, unpredictable and never dull. Ann Rinaldi manages to show the blurred lines between two sides of a conflict, and paint with accuracy the intensity of feelings and loyalties during the Civil War. In addition, Girl in Blue reflects the important rolls that women played, not only as soldiers, but as nurses, spies, informants, and general support. My only complaint about the story, was that the ending seemed a little off. It was somewhat rushed, and required a greater suspension of disbelief than the rest of the story, which I was unable to muster. Regardless of this, Girl in Blue is highly recommended.
Here’s one of my favorite pieces of writing from Girl in Blue:
“This house is like an ark, isn’t it?” Little Rose asked then. “Did you ever think that? We’re all in here together and sometimes we fight like animals. Only there’s no flood outside.”
Oh, yes, there is, Sarah thought, even as she marveled at the child’s insights. Oh, yes, there is a flood outside. And I feel the waters, rising and rising and rising.
“You know what I think, Sarah? I think that when God made all those animals, He was practicing. He made them all different shapes and sizes, and He just kept on practicing. For when He made man. But He had to practice a lot, first. That’s why the animals are all so different-looking. What do you think?”
“Sometimes,” Sarah said, “I think He didn’t practice enough.”
Review originally posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
February 2, 2013
It is 1861 and Sarah Louisa Wheelock, age fifteen, lives on a farm near Casey’s Mill, MI, with her father, mother, sister Betsy, and brother Ben. Her older sister Clarice is married. She has learned to hunt and ride better than any boy. Their abusive father, who beats both Sarah and her mother, plans to wed Sarah to their odious neighbor, Ezekiel Kunkle, who is a widower with two children. So she runs away, dresses as a boy named Neddie Compton, and joins the Union Army. As Neddy Sarah is sent to Washington, DC, but after the first Battle of Bull Run she is discovered. However, obviously being good at disguising herself and acting a part, she is recruited by Allan Pinkerton to serve as a maid in the home of the notorious Southern spy Rose Greenhow to help with surveillance and see if she can find out how Rose is sending messages. She begins to fall in love with Lt. Sheldon, head of the surveillance team, but then has reason to believe that he might be a traitor. Will her position be compromised so that she is found out again? And what should she do about Sheldon?
How weird is this! I obtain different books from different sources at different times and in different places and then put them in different piles to be read on different occasions. So the books that I am reading at any particular point are the result of happenstance. Back in 2011, I picked up some young people’s Civil War fiction books while visiting in Gettysburg, one of which, No Girls Allowed by Alan Kay, is a completely fictional account of a girl who dresses as a boy to fight in the Union Army. I just recently started reading it, but before I finished it, I began another book entitled A Soldier’s Secret by Marissa Moss which had been sent to me early in 2012 by the publisher for review and is a fictionalized account of the life of Sarah Edmonds who dressed as a boy to fight in the Union Army. Then before I finished that, I began reading Rinaldi’s book which I had actually first seen in a 2006 Scholastic Book catalogue and then bought later in 2012 at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Park near Springfield, MO. Rinaldi writes, “While Sarah Wheelock is a character of my own invention, I have based her somewhat on ‘Franklin Thompson,’ the male alias for Sarah Emma Edmonds, one of the most famous male soldier impersonators in the Civil War.” There is enough similarity so that having read A Soldier’s Secret I was immediately able to recognize the resemblances, but Rinaldi’s story is much more fictionalized, with changed names and many plot differences.
Girl in Blue is well written and easy to read. It has fewer objectionable elements than Moss’s book, omitting the euphemistic sexual references to male anatomy. However, while it is listed for ages eight and above, the “d” and “h” words are both used occasionally, the terms “God” and “Lord” are sometimes found as interjections, there are several instances of drinking beer, whiskey, and wine, and a few of the fighting scenes are a little intense with some gory detail. Therefore, I would recommend it for ages twelve and above. Rinaldi writes concerning the real Sarah Edmonds, “Her tenure in the army was longer than my Sarah’s, and she never served with the Pinkerton detective agency,” and said, “I have invented all the rest of the characters, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, General McClellan, Doctor Hammond, Allan Pinkerton and his operatives, and Rose Greenhow and the women spies incarcerated with her at Fort Greenhow.” While a couple of reader reviewers felt that the novel doesn't measure up to other Ann Rinaldi books and is not her best work, they still agreed that it is a suspenseful historical fiction story with a bit of adventure and a dash of romance. Amelia's War is another Civil War historical by Rinaldi.
How weird is this! I obtain different books from different sources at different times and in different places and then put them in different piles to be read on different occasions. So the books that I am reading at any particular point are the result of happenstance. Back in 2011, I picked up some young people’s Civil War fiction books while visiting in Gettysburg, one of which, No Girls Allowed by Alan Kay, is a completely fictional account of a girl who dresses as a boy to fight in the Union Army. I just recently started reading it, but before I finished it, I began another book entitled A Soldier’s Secret by Marissa Moss which had been sent to me early in 2012 by the publisher for review and is a fictionalized account of the life of Sarah Edmonds who dressed as a boy to fight in the Union Army. Then before I finished that, I began reading Rinaldi’s book which I had actually first seen in a 2006 Scholastic Book catalogue and then bought later in 2012 at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Park near Springfield, MO. Rinaldi writes, “While Sarah Wheelock is a character of my own invention, I have based her somewhat on ‘Franklin Thompson,’ the male alias for Sarah Emma Edmonds, one of the most famous male soldier impersonators in the Civil War.” There is enough similarity so that having read A Soldier’s Secret I was immediately able to recognize the resemblances, but Rinaldi’s story is much more fictionalized, with changed names and many plot differences.
Girl in Blue is well written and easy to read. It has fewer objectionable elements than Moss’s book, omitting the euphemistic sexual references to male anatomy. However, while it is listed for ages eight and above, the “d” and “h” words are both used occasionally, the terms “God” and “Lord” are sometimes found as interjections, there are several instances of drinking beer, whiskey, and wine, and a few of the fighting scenes are a little intense with some gory detail. Therefore, I would recommend it for ages twelve and above. Rinaldi writes concerning the real Sarah Edmonds, “Her tenure in the army was longer than my Sarah’s, and she never served with the Pinkerton detective agency,” and said, “I have invented all the rest of the characters, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, General McClellan, Doctor Hammond, Allan Pinkerton and his operatives, and Rose Greenhow and the women spies incarcerated with her at Fort Greenhow.” While a couple of reader reviewers felt that the novel doesn't measure up to other Ann Rinaldi books and is not her best work, they still agreed that it is a suspenseful historical fiction story with a bit of adventure and a dash of romance. Amelia's War is another Civil War historical by Rinaldi.
August 28, 2020
I would give the first thirteen chapters of this book five stars. Not to say what came after wasn't good, but it wasn't on the same level.
I love how realistically this book treats war, with the training, the battle, and the aftermath of said battle. Nothing felt rushed, but every piece felt interesting, seeing how Sarah would take things, what roles she would take. In particular, the aftermath of the battle really drove home just how terrible this war was.
As for the second part of this book, most of what were my problems with it were the actual historical facts/events... Once again showing that real life can be stranger than fiction. Still, I think there should have been more focus on not being able to trust anyone, on the fact there was no way to know who was Union and who was Confederate. It seemed to come up more as an afterthought each time. I think that's a large part in why the second half of the book is a little slower, because it doesn't try as hard as it should to keep that tension.
The author's note at the back also mentions that the spying was much more complex, and maybe this could have added to the sense of danger as well? It's hard to know without having done the research myself, but there just didn't seem to be enough going on with the spying for this lady to be such an important player. Staying vague because this is kind of getting into spoiler territory, but also not.
As for the romance... I kind of wish the back of the book didn't mention it. It hardly exists at all, other than to try to add tension with the not being able to trust people thing, and then it never gets resolved one way or the other. Really, it feels like this book should have a sequel, that still takes place during the war, but with more focus on the romance.
However, I really enjoyed the ending to the book, even without the closure on the romance. It was a good place to end things. Again, though, there easily could be a sequel.
Overall, I loved the main character of Sarah, and I loved seeing various historical events through her eyes. The war was written well, and I enjoyed the dilemmas Sarah had to face throughout the story. I just wish the spying bit had been written a little differently, and that there was a better resolution for the romance. It really feels like a sequel was meant to happen, though the story is still enjoyable without one.
I love how realistically this book treats war, with the training, the battle, and the aftermath of said battle. Nothing felt rushed, but every piece felt interesting, seeing how Sarah would take things, what roles she would take. In particular, the aftermath of the battle really drove home just how terrible this war was.
As for the second part of this book, most of what were my problems with it were the actual historical facts/events... Once again showing that real life can be stranger than fiction. Still, I think there should have been more focus on not being able to trust anyone, on the fact there was no way to know who was Union and who was Confederate. It seemed to come up more as an afterthought each time. I think that's a large part in why the second half of the book is a little slower, because it doesn't try as hard as it should to keep that tension.
The author's note at the back also mentions that the spying was much more complex, and maybe this could have added to the sense of danger as well? It's hard to know without having done the research myself, but there just didn't seem to be enough going on with the spying for this lady to be such an important player. Staying vague because this is kind of getting into spoiler territory, but also not.
As for the romance... I kind of wish the back of the book didn't mention it. It hardly exists at all, other than to try to add tension with the not being able to trust people thing, and then it never gets resolved one way or the other. Really, it feels like this book should have a sequel, that still takes place during the war, but with more focus on the romance.
However, I really enjoyed the ending to the book, even without the closure on the romance. It was a good place to end things. Again, though, there easily could be a sequel.
Overall, I loved the main character of Sarah, and I loved seeing various historical events through her eyes. The war was written well, and I enjoyed the dilemmas Sarah had to face throughout the story. I just wish the spying bit had been written a little differently, and that there was a better resolution for the romance. It really feels like a sequel was meant to happen, though the story is still enjoyable without one.
July 15, 2019
Girl in Blue 06/21
Sarah is 16 young girl living in the civil war era 1860 Michigan. She hunted for her family and was a good shot with her father’s Winchester she named fanny. Sarah’s abusive father attempted to arrange her marriage to a man she described as a bear to help on the farm. This was not going to fly for Sarah, so she convinced her mother to send her to an aunt to take up her trade. What Sarah did not say was that she was going to join the Michigan 2nd infantry and ended up in the civil war. She was a Private and marched to Washington DC, working in a hospital helping Dr. Hammond until she fought in the battle of bull run, survived and made it back to unknowingly face promotion. Before that promotion came up, she was asked to go on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines to get morphine and medical supplies. She ended up getting shot at by the woman meant to help her, so she tied the women’s arms around her waist and forced her to ride to Washington DC with her. Little did she know that was how she would be discovered as a woman. Instead of facing jail time her commanding officer found a way to get one of his best soldiers into a different form of service to her country. Sarah became a spy. She was to work as a maid for a woman who was known to have been the reason for the loss and bull run. Sarah’s job was to find out how rose was sending messages despite being watched and to find her journal.
I would suggest this book to young ladies learning civil war history and how women contributed to the war effort of the Union, especially to gals who love to shoot, work, fight and rough play. This book encourages young ladies to settle for less and not let others determine where they stand.
In a history class, particular in the American Civil War, I’d have them read the book and have the students read about the real Sarah and other influential women of the era. After reading and studying, they’d write a paper on the book and then make a presentation on an influential woman or female character in Civil War History/Literature.
Warnings:
Emotional sexual stimulation
Battles and conflicts
Sarah is 16 young girl living in the civil war era 1860 Michigan. She hunted for her family and was a good shot with her father’s Winchester she named fanny. Sarah’s abusive father attempted to arrange her marriage to a man she described as a bear to help on the farm. This was not going to fly for Sarah, so she convinced her mother to send her to an aunt to take up her trade. What Sarah did not say was that she was going to join the Michigan 2nd infantry and ended up in the civil war. She was a Private and marched to Washington DC, working in a hospital helping Dr. Hammond until she fought in the battle of bull run, survived and made it back to unknowingly face promotion. Before that promotion came up, she was asked to go on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines to get morphine and medical supplies. She ended up getting shot at by the woman meant to help her, so she tied the women’s arms around her waist and forced her to ride to Washington DC with her. Little did she know that was how she would be discovered as a woman. Instead of facing jail time her commanding officer found a way to get one of his best soldiers into a different form of service to her country. Sarah became a spy. She was to work as a maid for a woman who was known to have been the reason for the loss and bull run. Sarah’s job was to find out how rose was sending messages despite being watched and to find her journal.
I would suggest this book to young ladies learning civil war history and how women contributed to the war effort of the Union, especially to gals who love to shoot, work, fight and rough play. This book encourages young ladies to settle for less and not let others determine where they stand.
In a history class, particular in the American Civil War, I’d have them read the book and have the students read about the real Sarah and other influential women of the era. After reading and studying, they’d write a paper on the book and then make a presentation on an influential woman or female character in Civil War History/Literature.
Warnings:
Emotional sexual stimulation
Battles and conflicts
August 8, 2017
Intriguing, mysterious and in-powering.
I have been trying to get my hands on this book for a while now and don't regret the money or time it took me to get it. I absolutely loved and enjoyed this book. It truly kept me hooked. I loved the way the author built upon the heroine Sarah as a character, the author truly made me fall in love with the character admire her even ( made me very interested in Sarah's life, past, present and future). The story was intriguing and also factual in a sort of sense. Some of the characters in this story were based on real people who served or had something to do with the war, including women who had also pretended to be men, in order to be able to fight in the war. The book to me was interesting and it kept me guessing and confused with some of the characters intentions right until the end.
This book would of been a 5/5 stars if not for the ending. The ending to me was very abrupt. It left me with a lot of questions unanswered, it left me with an unknown sense in the heroine's and other characters future. But may bey my dislike of the ending is down to the fact that i have read a lot of romances with happy and secure endings, with all threads tied, that this ending threw me a bit.
This is not my usual genre to read, down to the fact that it isn't SUPER romantic, but i enjoyed no less than any other romance or book I have read. I would truly recommend this book to those of you who like a good and interesting story. Those of you who like a little more out of a book than a happy ending or not. Even to those who only buy romances. This was definitely a goodread.
I have been trying to get my hands on this book for a while now and don't regret the money or time it took me to get it. I absolutely loved and enjoyed this book. It truly kept me hooked. I loved the way the author built upon the heroine Sarah as a character, the author truly made me fall in love with the character admire her even ( made me very interested in Sarah's life, past, present and future). The story was intriguing and also factual in a sort of sense. Some of the characters in this story were based on real people who served or had something to do with the war, including women who had also pretended to be men, in order to be able to fight in the war. The book to me was interesting and it kept me guessing and confused with some of the characters intentions right until the end.
This book would of been a 5/5 stars if not for the ending. The ending to me was very abrupt. It left me with a lot of questions unanswered, it left me with an unknown sense in the heroine's and other characters future. But may bey my dislike of the ending is down to the fact that i have read a lot of romances with happy and secure endings, with all threads tied, that this ending threw me a bit.
This is not my usual genre to read, down to the fact that it isn't SUPER romantic, but i enjoyed no less than any other romance or book I have read. I would truly recommend this book to those of you who like a good and interesting story. Those of you who like a little more out of a book than a happy ending or not. Even to those who only buy romances. This was definitely a goodread.
September 18, 2018
The reason I gave it 2 stars is because the interaction between the characters and scenes don't make sense. What that means is that either the characterization was poor or that the behavior of the characters was intentional to frame Sarah's character. I'm not saying this because the story is from a different time, I'm saying this because logically and psychologically they didn't make sense.
For example, if Sheldon knew about its location, why didn't he do it by himself in the first place? Sarah got jealous of him for getting recognition but she didn't really do anything, it was Sheldon who figured out its location and did the work to get the item. All of this confusion would make sense if the suspicions against Sheldon were true, but apparently it's not. Therefore, his behavior made no sense, and his only character's purpose is to be part of Sarah's experiences as an operative.
There isn't really much psychological depth to all the characters, including Sarah. This book is more about experiencing what Sarah went through.
For example, if Sheldon knew about its location, why didn't he do it by himself in the first place? Sarah got jealous of him for getting recognition but she didn't really do anything, it was Sheldon who figured out its location and did the work to get the item. All of this confusion would make sense if the suspicions against Sheldon were true, but apparently it's not. Therefore, his behavior made no sense, and his only character's purpose is to be part of Sarah's experiences as an operative.
There isn't really much psychological depth to all the characters, including Sarah. This book is more about experiencing what Sarah went through.
September 24, 2008
Another great historical novel by Ann Rinaldi, I haven't read one of her books yet that I did not enjoy. This one is about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to be a soldier in the Civil War. It showed the hardships of being a women in those times and also how they could still use that to their advantage (as Rose did) or be crushed by it (as Sarah's Mother). My favorite part of reading Rinaldi's book is the explanation at the end of what was fact and where she got her sources so I can look them up and learn more about it.
August 3, 2010
Okay, this is about the 3rd time I've read this book and I still love it. Sarah can't stand to sit around at home and wait for her gross, older neighbor to marry her. So she takes matters into her own hands and runs off to join the army disguised as a man. The next part of her life is filled with anxiety at trying to keep her secret, surviving the horrors of war, and spying on Confederate sympathizers. Through it all, she is in charge of her own life. I really like Sarah doesn't let any one boss her around and stands up for herself. She is a very brave person and I admire her.
January 3, 2022
Just finished this today. I was looking for another book to add to a literature circle on the Civil War, and I think this will work well. The plot moved along fairly quickly, and there was still a good deal of historical information. The heroine is daring and interesting. While there isn't a ton of plot development, I found it easy to care about Sarah and what was happening to her. I even learned some about women's roles during the Civil War. I will definitely consider adding this to my literature circle.
May 29, 2012
"Girl in Blue" by Ann Rinaldi is a story about a girl who lives during the Civil War. Told from a third person perspective, the plot unfolds as Sarah goes under cover as a spy and boy fighting in the war. The characters move around a lot through Michigan and Washington as the fighting continues. The author puts a big emphasis on the themes of bravery and doing what is right. This historical fiction book seemed very accurate and did a good job at avoiding stereotypes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn more about the civil war and woman's rights in war.
November 21, 2012
This one my daughter brought me. It's the story of a young girl who has an abusive father who is about to marry her off to an abusive husband in order to acquire help with the farm. But our heroine gets away by chopping off her hair, grabbing her gun and running away to join the army as the civil war gets underway. Adventure ensues. A fine little story - but what really made my day was that fact that my daughter actually picked up and enjoyed a book that did not involve a plot that included people with supernatural powers!
February 24, 2014
2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book. It had so much potential to be really good. Unfortunately, all the good parts kept getting interrupted by an unnecessary love story that made Sarah seem weaker (and somehow, dumber) than she really was. This story could have really showcased a strong female lead who didn't go weak in the knees when a man smiled at her. Also, there were times when the writing seemed really forced. It seems like if Rinaldi would have cut out the love story and about fifty pages, it could have been good. I was really disappointed in this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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