Mary Walker Wears the Pants
The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
2014 Amelia Bloomer list
The Best Children's Books of the Year 2014, Bank Street College
The story of Mary Edwards Walker, the doctor and women's rights activist who served in the Civil War and receive the Medal of Honor.
Mary Edwards Walker was unconventional for her time: She was one of the first women doctors in the country, she was a suffragist, and she wore pants! And when the Civil War struck, she took to the battlefields in a modified Union uniform as a commissioned doctor. For her service she became the only woman ever to earn the Medal of Honor. This picture book biography tells the story of a remarkable woman who challenged traditional roles and lived life on her own terms.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Back when wearing pants was an act of defiance for women, Mary Walker sported them with poise. As a Civil War surgeon and activist, pants allowed her freedom of movement. Molinari shows a coiffed Walker striding confidently in a man's tailored suit, as women glower in bonnets and floor-length dresses. In detailed prose, Harness describes Walker caring for the war wounded, being captured as a suspected spy ("It is likely that this was true"), and eventually receiving a Medal of Honor. Throughout, Harness underscores the greater implications of Walker's attire: "There was more to Mary than her trousers. She lived as she believed, as an individual, fully equal and entitled to walk, breathe, and think freely, unbound by a corset or her society's expectations." An endnote further explores Walker's life. Ages 6 9.
