Rebecca O. Website

REVIEWS FOR “Private Cathay’s Secret”

Kenneth Gibson - Retired teacher

…What a wonderful story and so much solid history. In addition, the values you put forth could lead to many solid classroom or family discussions. My only hope is that many get to read your book and that some far sighted teacher uses it as part of his or her class work.

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National Black Homeschool Educators

Need a good book to read?

Check out this new book:

Private Cathay's Secret written by Rebecca O. Hayes

recommended ages: 10 - 13

This is a gripping tale of a sixteen year old girl who, posing as a boy, sneaks into the army and experiences many adventures and hardships as she fights. The tale is set during the Civil War. The story is based on the true life of Cathay Williams. This is an exciting and informative read. To buy this book please visit, Mrs. Hayes' website. Encourage your children to get back into reading as the school year begins with this fabulous book!

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Hello Ms. Rebecca,

I really enjoyed reading Private Cathay's Secret. This book is an enlightening read, and a wonderful contribution to African American history. Your writing, along with Cathay's daring personality and yearning for adventure draws the reader right into the book. I appreciate how you divided each major period of Cathay's life into three separate parts, gradually unfolding her transformation from slave to soldier.

You distinctly showed how no bonds could claim Cathay's carefree spirit and ambition for exploration outside of plantation life. Mundane housework and cooking never interested her, but somehow those tasks became her ticket to freedom.

Private Cathay's Secret offers a unique take on former slaves' involvement in the Civil War, by capturing the perspective of a female who impersonates a male soldier. All the ingredients in this novel cook up an interesting, informative, and courageous journey of one of America's unsung heroines.

Thank you, Mrs. Hayes, for writing such a valuable book. I would recommend this book for schools, homeschoolers, and libraries, as well as personal home libraries. It adds a nice spice to the rich African American history that has been recorded down through the years.

Most respectfully yours,

Pamela M. Tuck

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I had an entire day and a half blocked out to start this book and clean my house. The story grabbed me from page one and never let go. From the little bit I knew about the book, I was expecting a story about the challenges of hiding one's gender from the public.But that was only a small part of the novel.Rather, it was an inspiration, modeling how to make the best of a horrible situation. Never once did Private Cathay do anything but figure out how to learn from each event. Now if I am ever asked that age old question, "Name three people you would like to have dinner with", Private Cathay would be on my list.

pparke@mka.org - sent to momsie44@aol.com

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This is a skillfully and beautifully written story which is all the more interesting because it's based on true history. Cathay's character is vividly portrayed and her personality is solidly three-dimensional. I was drawn into the many turns of her adventures and found many instances of suspense and pathos. Through her excellent skills, the author succeeds in making us care deeply for her title character. I have recommended the book to my niece who is an 8th grade English teacher in the Philadelphia School system. I'm sure she will appreciate the value of a good story about a strong and courageous young woman.

Maggie Murphy-Jones=

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