The Soldier's Friend
Walt Whitman's Extraordinary Service in the American Civil War
1 of 1 copy available
In December of 1862, Walt Whitman left Brooklyn, New York, for the war-torn South after seeing his brother's name on a list of wounded Union soldiers. What he found on the battlefields completely changed his life, as he came face to face with not only the wounded, but the dying. Whitman spent the next three years working part-time in Washington, DC, visiting and ministering to soldiers in the city's many military hospitals. Caring for the sick and dying was not easy, but Whitman was committed to his chosen service. He became known as "the soldiers' friend," and was bound—in his own way—to save and heal the America he wrote about and loved so deeply.
New York Times–bestselling author Gary Golio brings Whitman's story and his passion for America to life, complete with quotes from Whitman's works.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 15, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9798894861760
- File size: 6548 KB
- Duration: 00:13:38
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from July 22, 2024
This moving picture book biography from Golio and Lewis explores the work that poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) took on during the U.S. Civil War. In New York City, where he befriends ferry pilots and occasionally visits them in the hospital, he begins visiting wounded Union soldiers, as well. When his brother’s misspelled name appears on a list of wounded soldiers, Whitman hurries south, finding his sibling in Virginia. The poet stays at the camp to talk to soldiers and write letters for those who cannot, and army doctors eventually put him in charge of wounded soldiers being sent to Washington, D.C. Graceful, light-filled watercolor spreads depict hazily chaotic battles, city scenes, and Whitman’s face and faraway eyes as he wrestles with the pain he encounters. As one included quotation reads, “I do not see that I do much good to these wounded and dying... but I cannot leave them.” Reproduced photographs and more about the figure conclude. Ages 7–10.
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