Where Duty Calls: The Story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, Soldier and Spy in the Union Army [Paperback]

Marilyn Seguin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1999

At least 400 women enlisted and fought on both sides during the terrible national conflict that was the War Between the States. Their reasons for enlisting ranged from wanting to stay with their husbands or lovers to patriotism and a firm dedication to the cause for which they fought. Most of these women disguised themselves as men, and some were soon discovered and discharged. A few women fought in the war and their identity was never discovered. This book is about one of those young women, Sarah Emma Edmonds, whose identity was apparently never revealed until many years after the war ended. Emma's experience is especially interesting because during her enlistment she served as a Union Spy, causing her to adopt multiple identities in addition to her male disguise.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marilyn Segun

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Branden Pub Co (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0828320470
• ISBN-13: 978-0828320474
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,221,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marilyn Weymouth Seguin teaches in the writing program of the English Department at Kent State University in Ohio. She lives with her husband in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and Gray, Maine. She has two grown children. Visit her at her website at www.marilynwseguin.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adolescent Historical Fiction, March 29, 2000

By 

astrifem (Ellicott City, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Duty Calls: The Story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, Soldier and Spy in the Union Army (Paperback)

"Where Duty Calls: The Story of Sarah Emma Edmonds" is a recently published, fictionalized account of the life of Union spy Sarah Edmonds. The plot of the story itself is quite interesting, chronicling the adventures of a female who poses as a male spy during the Civil War. The book, although not noted as relevant to a certain age category, is more suitable for younger children. Although it includes excerpts from Edmond's autobiography, and does well in sticking to the facts, it reads like a young adventure novel. It is definitely a more fictionalized account of Edmonds life, and doesn't go into the more intellectual and historical issues of gender roles and Union spies. If you would like a well-written, simplistic overview of Edmonds' life; or if you know a young child who likes to read about real life spies, then "Where Duty Calls" is the book for you.