  | Fighting infantryman : the story of Albert D. J. Cashier, transgender Civil War soldier Author: Sanders, Rob | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
In 1861, the winds of war blew through the United States. Jennie Hodgers, a young immigrant from Ireland, moved west to Illinois and soon had a new name and a new identity--Albert D. J. Cashier. Like many other young men, Albert joined the Union Army. Though the smallest soldier in his company, Albert served for nearly three years and fought in forty battles and skirmishes. When the war ended, Albert continued to live his life as a man.
| Illustrator: | Ali, Nabi H. |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/01/20)
Booklist (06/01/20)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/06/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 06/01/2020 Born in Ireland in 1843, Jennie Hodgers wore boy's clothes when she tended sheep and again when she and her stepfather sailed to America and yet again when she went to work in an all-male shoe factory. However, it wasn’t until she moved west to Illinois that she assumed a new name and identity, beginning life as a man named Albert D. J. Cashier. In 1862, he enlisted in the Union army and served as an infantryman for three years without anyone learning that he had been born a girl. He continued to live as a man after the war, and it wasn’t until 1911 that the truth was discovered. While these facts are incontrovertible, it’s less certain—as the author acknowledges in an appended note—that Albert was actually transgender. Whether or not he was, his story is well served by Sanders’ telling of it, written primarily in short, declarative, well-crafted sentences. Ali’s soft-colored illustrations—in both full-page and vignette pictures—capture the spirit and tone of what is a remarkable story. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
