Women played an important part in the U.S. Civil War, serving such varied roles as volunteers and nurses, soldiers and spies in both the North and the South. Drawing on 19th century women's letters, diaries, speeches and essays, Ina Chang eloquently tells their stories, placing them within the historical context of the abolitionist movement and the struggle for women's rights. The handsome volume, generously illustrated with photographs and prints from the era, is exemplary nonfiction for young readers. (Age 9 and older)

Whether privileged ladies or former slaves, women in the North and South worked as nurses, spies, and volunteers in aid societies; they even fought battles posing as male soldiers. These indomitable women broke taboos, developed strategies to help feed and clothe the soldiers, cared for the wounded, and took over dangerous jobs on the homefront. The impact their presence made will engross and enlighten the reader.