Mary Edwards Walker

A women's rights advocate, a Union spy and an ""indefatigable foe of traditional female dress,"" Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919), one of the first female doctors in the United States, was a pioneer. In this compact entry in Forge's American Heroes series, Walker (The Calamity Papers) brings her many accomplishments to light. Unfortunately, while the doctor's history is fascinating-under the guise of a civilian contract surgeon, she spied for the Union, was imprisoned by the Confederate army for five months and was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865-this brief, just-the-facts recounting doesn't hint at Walker's personality. As the author notes in his preface, Walker's voice is curiously missing from historical records and her own writings were perfunctory, presenting a challenge for any historian looking to capture the woman, not just her deeds. In an effort to make up for this lack, the author attempts to contextualize Walker's life, and often does so with great success. For example, the details of the famous John Brown trial and the political elections leading up to the Civil War shed light on her involvement with the anti-slavery movement; however, the book occasionally misses, drawing scant connections between historical anecdotes and Walker's life. Although this brief chronicle succeeds more as a textbook lesson than as a nuanced biography, it is nonetheless a thorough overview of one of history's most enigmatic heroines.