Shortly after the conflict ends, Emma writes a book about her exploits as a soldier and spy, which becomes a bestseller. Unable to rejoin her unit, Emma moves to Washington and serves as a female nurse until the end of the war. After recovering, Emma learns that the Union considers her male persona, Franklin Thompson, a deserter. This curtails her military career, as going to an army hospital might expose her gender, so she instead flees to Illinois for treatment. Adept at transforming her appearance, she’s so successful in gaining vital information that she receives several more espionage assignments. However, a friend’s death moves her to take a more active role in the conflict.Įmma volunteers for a Union spy mission behind enemy lines. Upon enlisting, Emma’s first assignment is as a male nurse in an army hospital. She poses as a man named Franklin Thompson, and her ruse is successful. Because of her harsh upbringing, Emma is comfortable with the idea of going to war. She supports the Union’s goal to emancipate the enslaved and strikes upon the bold idea of disguising herself as a man to enlist in the Union Army. When she’s 21 years old, the American Civil War breaks out. She flees to the US and settles in Flint, Michigan. To win his approval she becomes tougher and braver than the boys her age. Her father has always resented the fact that she’s a girl.
Her full name is Sarah Emma Edmonds, but she drops her first name while still a child.
The story covers the period between April 1861 and May 1863 (from locations that the Union Army occupied) and follows events in Emma’s life through 1884.Įmma Edmonds lives in St. In the book Behind Rebel Lines, Reit uses a third-person narrative style from the protagonist’s viewpoint throughout most of the story to convey what she experiences. He also wrote adult works, including the true-crime novel The Day They Stole the Mona Lisa (1981). In addition to his work as an illustrator, Reit was a prolific children’s author, writing more than 80 children’s novels (most on topics related to history, nature, and technology). Reit may be best known for creating the children’s cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost (1939). Page references in this study guide refer to the 2014 Kindle edition. Originally published by Gulliver Books in 1988, Behind Rebel Lines is currently available in a 2014 edition from Clarion Books.
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