Trousers by
This is the mostly-forgotten true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds. Growing up in Canada in the 1840s, Emma can sense she's not like other girls. Desperate to escape a life of unwanted marriage and servitude, she escapes to the United States, where she discards her skirts for trousers, assumes the moniker of Frank Thompson, and lives as a man. When the Union army comes calling, Emma's life changes forever...
This is the mostly-forgotten true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds. Growing up in Canada in the 1840s, Emma can sense she's not like other girls. Desperate to escape a life of unwanted marriage and servitude, she escapes to the United States, where she discards her skirts for trousers, assumes the moniker of Frank Thompson, and lives as a man. When the Union army comes calling, Emma's life changes forever. She faces war, near-death, heartbreak, and the pain of untruths. After the war, she must convince Congress to grant her the pension she's owed. Jumping in time between Emma's past and present, Trousers weaves together the life of a woman trying: to be seen, to be equal, to be autonomous. In the end, Emma discovers she's not alone in her story--there are many women just like her.