From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–An excellent examination of the diverse roles played by women during the Civil War. The 128 entries range in length from 400 to 4000 words, and include biographies of women from all regions of the U.S. Well-known figures such as Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, Louisa May Alcott, and Mary Todd Lincoln are represented but so too are African-American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, poet Lucy Larcom, and Emma LeConte, whose Civil War diary is "one of the clearest articulations of the patriotic ideals and emotions of Southern white girls and women who clung to their faith in the future of the Confederacy." As well as biographies, there are superb thematic entries on women living in the West, prostitutes, industrial workers, family life, and invasion and occupation. Discussions of such events as the New York Draft Riot of 1863 or the Battle at Gettysburg explain the role of women or the event's consequences in regard to women's lives. Much of the information came from primary sources, especially diaries, and students are sure to find them fascinating. A few black-and-white photographs are included. Cross-references direct readers to related articles. Each entry is followed by a short list of suggested readings. This encyclopedia is a welcomed addition to reference collections.
–Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Civil War was the seminal point for so much of what America is today, and women played an important part. This unique encyclopedia brings together information on individual women, ethnic groups, occupations, issues, and even women soldiers.
The encyclopedia is designed for scholars and students who need information on women both individually and collectively. The 128 entries range in size from several paragraphs to several pages. Each provides cross-references where appropriate and a selected readings list. A number of black-and-white photographs accompany the text. The work concludes with an extensive bibliography and an index with the main entries in bold type.
The individuals covered include the famous, such as Dorothea Dix, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, and less-well-known women, some of whom disguised their sex and served in the army, such as Sarah Rosetta Wakeman. The entry Military women provides insights on how they got away with the deception and why they decided to enlist. Of course the more traditional activities such as sewing uniforms and flags are included, as are tasks of taking on farming, running businesses, and holding the family together. The problems of women doctors who were not allowed to heal the wounded; nurses who fought with surgeons over patient care; the ambiguity of what to do with the former slaves after they were freed; and a host of other issues are all examined in some depth.
This work is an important reference resource for most libraries. The bibliography would make an excellent checklist for collection development. Although the biographies are useful, the essays helping to place women in a Civil War context are even more significant. A necessary acquisition for public and academic libraries with collections on the Civil War, social movements such as abolition, and women's studies. RBB
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