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A Girl in Blue
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Plot Summary of A Girl in Blue
"It starts with a girl who lives on a farm near a small village in Michigan in the 1860s. Her father is abusive and wants her to marry an abusive neighbor who had several children. She runs away to Flint, Michigan to stay with an aunt, and then ships out with a regiment to fight in the Civil War as a man. She ends up working in a hospital as a gopher. She fights in the first Bull Run. She shoots a man and ends up falling asleep to men who die in the night. She goes on a mission for the doctor she works for to get medicine from a doctor he knows on the Southern side. She meets the doctor's wife who ends up shooting her and eventually reports her as female to the Union. The doctor says she can no longer be a soldier, but he's friends with Pinkerton and may work as a spy. After she is trained her mission is to be a maid in Rose Greenhow's house. She is to find a diary. She finds the diary with the help of Rose Greenhow's daughter and Capt. Sheldon. She falls in love with the Capt. She turns him in as a spy when she catches Rose in his arms. He's not. He ignores her. She's depressed again. Goes home to Michigan to see her family, but is dressed as a man. Dad's dead, died in an "accident." Sister is going to marry the man who was supposed to marry the main character before she ran off. Main character, Sarah, goes back to Pinkerton Agency in Washington D.C."
Miss Becky the teacher, Resident Scholar

"This is a story about a 16 year-old girl who has to put up with an abusive father. When her father attempts to marry her off to another abusive man, she, Sarah, decides to take matters into her own hands and pretends to be a man to become a Union soldier in the Civil War. After Sarah's secret is found out, she becomes a spy for the Pinkerton Agency. "
Amanda McClure, Resident Scholar

"The year is 1861 in this story. It starts with a girl who lives on a farm near a small village in Michigan in the 1860s. Her father is abusive and wants her to marry an abusive neighbor who had several children. She runs away to Flint, Michigan to stay with an aunt, and then ships out with a regiment to fight in the Civil War as a man. She ends up working in a hospital as a gopher. She fights in the first Bull Run. She shoots a man and ends up falling asleep to men who die in the night. She goes on a mission for the doctor she works for to get medicine from a doctor he knows on the Southern side. She meets the doctor's wife who ends up shooting her and eventually reports her as female to the Union. The doctor says she can no longer be a soldier, but he's friends with Pinkerton and may work as a spy. After she is trained her mission is to be a maid in Rose Greenhow's house. She is to find a diary. She finds the diary with the help of Rose Greenhow's daughter and Capt. Sheldon. She falls in love with the Capt. She turns him in as a spy when she catches Rose in his arms. He's not. He ignores her. She's depressed again. Goes home to Michigan to see her family, but is dressed as a man. Dad's dead, died in an "accident." Sister is going to marry the man who was supposed to marry the main character before she ran off. Main character, Sarah, goes back to Pinkerton Agency in Washington D.C.
"

Francesca, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of A Girl in Blue
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - very sensitive (sigh)
Time/era of story - 19th century
Family, struggle with Yes
Struggle with: - Father (or standin)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14
War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Conflict: - War, general - War, Civil
Woman's story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - spy
Age: - a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - a teen
Profession/status: - spy
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 ()
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting - fort/military installation

Style
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards
Most similar books to A Girl in Blue
When Will This Cruel War Be Over? by Barry Denenberg
Dancing Through Fire by Kathryn Lasky
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Elsie Dinsmore by Martha Finley
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier


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Ann Rinaldi Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Crystal  

SCHOLARS:
Susan Coffey  Adnamarine  Francesca  Kristee Pittman  alisa  Michael Jung  Joraya Flow  Amanda McClure  Miss. Becky the teacher  


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