Randy O'Brien - Gettysburg By Morning

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Gettysburg By Morning

A patriotic young woman poses as a man to fight in the Civil War.

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A Great Kirkus Review
In this novel, a young woman intent on fighting for the Union cause during the Civil War disguises herself as a man.
In 1861, the nation hangs on the precipice of war, and Massachusetts teenager Eloise Jacobson, an outspoken critic of slavery, prepares to do her part. She's armed with a remarkable education, and since her family operates a telegraph office, she is skilled at Morse code. But her desire to contribute to the war effort is rebuffed because she is a woman, a rejection delivered by no less than Oliver Wendell Holmes. Her brother, Edward, enlists in the Army but, following their father's death, loses his nerve, a gutless decision that threatens to ruin the family's reputation. When Edward abandons his commitment and runs south, Eloise is struck by an ingenious, if radical, idea—she will assume the appearance of a man and take her brother's place, both saving the family name and providing her with an opportunity to fight. Her transformation is remarkable—she even takes up smoking a pipe in order to give her voice a more masculine timbre. With great intelligence and subtlety, O'Brien chronicles the fortunes of Eloise and Edward—the latter eventually overcomes his cowardice but only to fight for the Confederate side, making the siblings war enemies. Eloise is a remarkable and memorable hero—deeply intelligent and equally decent, she is profoundly changed by her experiences of battle and death and fully realizes the societal limitations placed on her gender: "I was surprised by how much my deception allowed me more freedom and responsibility than my real identity. I never realized just how merely being a woman could hamper my freedom of movement and my entrance into establishments." This is a historically astute story that deftly highlights an element of the war largely neglected.
A thrilling war tale, dramatically engrossing and historically authentic.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/randy-obrien/gettysburg-by-morning/

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Gettysburg By Morning

It’s July 4, 1861, and the featured speaker at this year’s Independence Day celebration at Concord, MA, is high-spirited and fiercely patriotic Eloise Jacobson. She rails against the South’s attack on Fort Sumter and the injustice of slavery. A newspaper article recounting the speech inspires her brother Edward to enlist. The siblings’ father, a War of Independence veteran, dies, and Edward decides he doesn’t want to join the Union army after all and runs away. Heartbroken, Eloise returns to the family telegraph office, committed to a life of boredom and servitude. The disappointment in her brother devastates Eloise.

In a dramatic moment, she decides that she will take her brother’s place and fight for the honor of her family and the country. She joins the Massachusetts 20th and lives through several horrific battles, including the most devastating conflict in U.S. history, Gettysburg. General George Custer discovers her talent as a telegraph operator, and she soon rises through the ranks and to the war room at the White House, where she works daily with President Abraham Lincoln. One night, as Eloise sleeps at her post, Lincoln sees a copy of the newspaper article featuring Eloise’s speech. He reads it, is inspired by it, and borrows key phrases for the most famous speech in American history, The Gettysburg Address.

There are over two hundred documented cases of women dressing as men to fight in the Civil War. Gettysburg by Morning places you on the battlefield with a patriotic young woman fighting arm-in-arm with her fellow soldiers. Historical characters like Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, George Custer, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and others make reading this story like walking hand-in-hand with history.