Women in Blue or Gray

Jim Weiss's collection of stories focuses on female heroines of the Civil War on both sides of the Mason Dixon Line. From Lottie Moon to Harriet Tubman, the accounts show the extreme efforts of these women to save lives and sway the course of the war. Weiss's writing style takes some getting used to--it's a combination of textbook-style history lessons and short, dramatized exchanges between each woman and contemporary figures in history. However, Weiss's narration is immediately energetic and engaging. The accents and voices he employs for the dramatized sections buoy up the dry pockets of historical background. A.H.A. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine