Review of 1775 Overlooked Heroines
6 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "1775 Overlooked Heroines" by Juanita Stellato Maldonado.]
The American Revolutionary War was a huge turning point for America, which was finally able to gain independence from Great Britain. The male soldiers, generals, and spies who were able to make this independence a reality are fully documented in the history books and taught in elementary classes. People such as Paul Revere, General Washington, and a host of others have been immortalized. However, what happened to the women? Were they non-existent during the war, or did they have zero impact on the outcome of the American Revolutionary War?
In the book 1775 - Overlooked Heroines: Women Soldiers, Spies, and Humanitarians in the American Revolutionary War by Juanita Stellato Maldonado, Juanita combs through history searching for overlooked heroines—women who, in one way or another, contributed to the positive outcome of the war, women who dressed up as men to fight in the war, the ones who embarked on dangerous journeys to retrieve weaponry, the ones who acted as spies down to the ones who showed little acts of kindness such as feeding every soldier that came along and tending their wounds. We learn about camp followers, the Culper spy ring, and so many other things that most history books tend to overlook, and in each of these stories about these women, we see the true definition of courage and bravery in their actions in a way that fans up the fire of patriotism in us.
Although this book would be categorized as academic since it involves a lot of facts and figures as well as research, I love how the author manages not to make it boring. Each story about each heroine is decorated with historical pictures, which helps the reader connect with the story. Also, Juanita manages to chip in her point of view on various scenes, making the writing style a bit conversational and not just stilted. I also loved the little quotes at the end of some chapters, as well as some of the thought-provoking questions Juanita posed in some of the chapters. Finally, I did not find up to ten errors in the book, which suggests that the book was professionally edited.
However, there were some chapters containing speeches or the content of certain letters written during some point in the war that I found quite straining to read. I would have preferred if the content had been shortened in some way and just the vital information retained.
In conclusion, I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. For one, it addressed this overlooked topic in an all-encompassing way and was able to impart knowledge without being boring. The slight discomfort I experienced wasn't enough to deduct a star. If you are a history nerd or you're just looking to learn about the details of the American Revolutionary War and specifically the women who helped make American independence a reality, then this book is for you.
******
1775 Overlooked Heroines
View: on Bookshelves |
The American Revolutionary War was a huge turning point for America, which was finally able to gain independence from Great Britain. The male soldiers, generals, and spies who were able to make this independence a reality are fully documented in the history books and taught in elementary classes. People such as Paul Revere, General Washington, and a host of others have been immortalized. However, what happened to the women? Were they non-existent during the war, or did they have zero impact on the outcome of the American Revolutionary War?
In the book 1775 - Overlooked Heroines: Women Soldiers, Spies, and Humanitarians in the American Revolutionary War by Juanita Stellato Maldonado, Juanita combs through history searching for overlooked heroines—women who, in one way or another, contributed to the positive outcome of the war, women who dressed up as men to fight in the war, the ones who embarked on dangerous journeys to retrieve weaponry, the ones who acted as spies down to the ones who showed little acts of kindness such as feeding every soldier that came along and tending their wounds. We learn about camp followers, the Culper spy ring, and so many other things that most history books tend to overlook, and in each of these stories about these women, we see the true definition of courage and bravery in their actions in a way that fans up the fire of patriotism in us.
Although this book would be categorized as academic since it involves a lot of facts and figures as well as research, I love how the author manages not to make it boring. Each story about each heroine is decorated with historical pictures, which helps the reader connect with the story. Also, Juanita manages to chip in her point of view on various scenes, making the writing style a bit conversational and not just stilted. I also loved the little quotes at the end of some chapters, as well as some of the thought-provoking questions Juanita posed in some of the chapters. Finally, I did not find up to ten errors in the book, which suggests that the book was professionally edited.
However, there were some chapters containing speeches or the content of certain letters written during some point in the war that I found quite straining to read. I would have preferred if the content had been shortened in some way and just the vital information retained.
In conclusion, I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. For one, it addressed this overlooked topic in an all-encompassing way and was able to impart knowledge without being boring. The slight discomfort I experienced wasn't enough to deduct a star. If you are a history nerd or you're just looking to learn about the details of the American Revolutionary War and specifically the women who helped make American independence a reality, then this book is for you.
******
1775 Overlooked Heroines
View: on Bookshelves |
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