Book Review: Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit

Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit
Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Historical Fiction/Civil War)
Date Published: January 1, 1988
Publisher: Clarion Books

Seymour Reit, the creator of Casper the friendly ghost, blends fact with fiction in this captivating tale about one woman who dared to go behind enemy lines as a spy for the Union Army.

Canadian-born Emma Edmonds loved the thrill of adventure and chasing freedom, so in 1861 when the Civil War began, she enlisted in the Union Army.

With cropped hair and men’s clothing, Emma transformed herself into a peddler, slave, bookkeeper and more, seamlessly gathering information and safely escaping each time.

This fictionalized biography about the daring exploits of a cunning master of disguise, risking discovery and death for the sake of freedom, will inspire readers for generations to come.

Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit is the story of Emma Edmonds, a woman who went under cover as a man to join the Army during the Civil War. She was a nurse and used as a spy, all the
while the authorities never knew she was female. The alternating of "him" and "her" from paragraph to paragraph got a little messy at times, but i enjoyed the story overall.

I’ve never heard of this woman, and reading this book has sparked my interest in researching her more.
I don’t know how much of her story is true. There has been some debate amongst experts on that, but even if there’s just a little truth.. She was one brave woman!

Seymour Reit was the author of over 80 children's books as well as several works for adults. Reit was the creator, with cartoonist Joe Oriolo, of the character Casper the Friendly Ghost. 

To learn more about Seymour Reit and his books, visit him on Goodreads.

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