The Soldier's Friend: Walt Whitman's Extraordinary Service in the American Civil War

by Gary Golio Narrated by Not Yet Available

Overview

Walt Whitman is celebrated as an iconic American poet, but few know of the crucial and heroic role he played tending to the wounded and dying in Civil War hospitals. This nonfiction picture book highlights Whitman's compassion and teaches an important lesson about empathy, making this a perfect social-emotional learning title for young readers. In 1863, 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 and Caldecott Honor artist E. B. Lewis bring Whitman's story and his passion for America to life, complete with quotes from Whitman's works, and extensive backmatter, which includes a bibliography and photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

★ "In Golio’s thoughtful and tender presentation, Whitman is the consummate friend: 'He met their eyes with his, touched or held their hands, and read to them even if they seemed not to hear.' Lewis’ richly textured watercolor paintings of soldiers lying wounded on the battlefield and in the hospital, of city scenes and moonlit nights, together with images of the gray-bearded Whitman both in action and in contemplation, convey the heart of this beautiful story. In a time of strife in contemporary America, this emotive story centers empathy and kindness." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"In describing how Whitman devotedly gave aid and comfort to thousands of wounded Civil War soldiers as a volunteer nurse, Golio pays tribute to a great soul who matched deep wells of compassion with equally profound love for both his country and its people. Brief pull quotes from his poems and letters give the poet a personal voice, and his gray-bearded figure—at once approachable and charismatic—lights up Lewis’ hospital scenes." —Booklist

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192035566
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years