Gentle Annie: The True Story of a Civil War Nurse - Softcover

Shura, Mary Francis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0590435000 ISBN 13: 9780590435000

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 1994

Synopsis

A fictionalized biography of Anna Blair Ethridge, a Union Army nurse.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- Classified as biography, this is a highly fictionalized version of the life of Anna Etheridge, a 16-year-old Civil War nurse from Michigan who served with bravery, often at the front lines. Shura seems to have based her story not on Etheridge's diary or personal papers, but on mentions made of her in the journals and letters of those with whom she served. She follows the young nurse from her childhood through the war's end, but fails to draw a three-dimensional picture of her--readers never get a true sense of Annie as a person. The writing itself is uneven, sometimes lively, often tedious and dry (particularly in the battle scenes), yet sometimes poignant (as when the nurses share their secret fears about the war and their haunting memories of the battles). The lack of a map is unfortunate, as many places and battles are mentioned but location is not clear. Adequate as historical fiction, but not as biography. --Elizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

The late author ( The Search for Grissi ; The Sunday Doll ; The Josie Gambit ) carefully interweaves historical fact with fiction to create the enticing biography of Anna Blair Etheridge. Courageous and independent Annie enlists with the Union Army in 1861, just before her 17th birthday. She and the other girls are assigned to cook, clean and sew; however, when their regiment is sent into battle, they all flee--except for Annie. She becomes a nurse for the regiment, tending to soldiers in the hospitals and on the front lines. Exhausted, Annie devotes four years of her life to nursing, and her undaunted spirit inspires hundreds of soldiers to defend their country until the bloody Civil War comes to an end. Through Shura's potent, concise narrative, readers will gain an understanding of this important conflict and a deep admiration for one of its valiant, lesser-known participants. Ages 8-14.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590435000
• ISBN 13: 9780590435000
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192