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To purchase Matty's War from Amazon click here.
From Publishers Weekly:
"As the story opens just before Christmas 1863,
narrator Neely Allen greets her 16-year-old cousin, Matty, who has come to live
with her in rural Connecticut from war-torn Kansas Territory. Although her aunt
and uncle expect Matty to attend boarding school, Matty has other ideas: she
intends to enlist in the Union Army. Matty's letters chronicle her experiences
as a soldier, describing arduous days of marching, battles with Confederate
troops, her friendships with fellow soldiers and the ordeal of concealing her
gender. This epistolary technique effectively conveys Matty's courage, anguish
and intermittent self-doubt. The novel offers a little-known perspective on
women's roles in the Civil War and will likely please historical fiction fans."
Return to Matty Trescott Home Page.
Last Updated: 09/30/09
"Matty's War has brought the Civil War to life for my students. Matty became an inspiration for the girls and won the admiration of the boys." Diane Lewin
Sixteen-year old Matty Trescott arrives in Simsbury, Connecticut, to live with her cousin Neely's family in December 1863. Her farm in Kansas has been burned by Confederate raiders, her father and brother have joined the Union Army, and she has been sent to Connecticut for her safety. She and Neely are slated to attend school at the Hartford Female Seminary, but Matty has other ideas. When they get to Hartford, Neely stays but Matty heads for New Haven hoping to enlist in the army.
An Excerpt from Matty's War:
"You're what?" It was not a question, but an involuntary response. I stared at what I could see of Matty's face through the darkness of our barn. So this was the big surprise, the news I had sworn to guard with my life. It was fantastic to even consider.
"Enlisting. Lincoln's going to issue another call for volunteers, and when he does I am signing up. I can't sit by and let this war pass me by."
"But Matty—you're a girl. They don't take women. What makes you think you can...They won't let you. Pa won't let you. I won't let you."
"Neely, don't be silly. I'm not going to go as a girl. I'll sign up as Matthew Trescott."
"But you can't," I spluttered. "I mean, your not a...you can't...how would you? You couldn't possibly. I mean, what about your...well, you don't have a beard. You don't look like a boy. You don't act like a boy. You aren't a boy! Boys are so—well, they're different!"
From the Author:
Matty's War was our first book. The idea came from an article in Smithsonian magazine that described the experiences of young women who disguised themselves as men and fought in the Civil War. We thought this was fascinating and wondered what would motivate a young woman to risk her life to fight for her country. We did a great deal of research and two things happened: we learned a lot about the Civil War, and we were inspired to write Matty's War.
Links for Further Research