A challenging book about the cost of war—the grief, trauma, and displacement. I found the writing style appealing, though at times I had to go back anA challenging book about the cost of war—the grief, trauma, and displacement. I found the writing style appealing, though at times I had to go back and re-listen because I thought I had missed something, but in truth I hadn’t. The author definitely trusts the reader to be patient with the slow unspooling of the story and with vague or missing details (I’m trying not to spoil anything). There is one plot point/detail I wish had been resolved (relating to Weed and his coat) and then there are others that felt a bit too neat, but in the end, I appreciated this story (enjoyed seems the wrong term, given the subject matter). Readers who like reading about the Civil War will want to pick this one up. That said, MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING for sexual assault and psychological abuse—there is one detailed scene in particular that was very hard to listen to....more
I feel conflicted about how to rate this book. What I loved best and admire most about it was reading a Civil War era novel from the perspective of a I feel conflicted about how to rate this book. What I loved best and admire most about it was reading a Civil War era novel from the perspective of a freed slave posing as a slave to spy for the Union. The last novel I read that had a similar premise was The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen, but these two books are very different. While that book dives deep into the history in a way I appreciated so much, I feel like the way Alyssa Cole handles the impact of slavery is its strength. She renders Elle's conflicted and complex thoughts about a whole range of issues--from the ways in sexism, racism and deep prejudice impact every aspect of how Elle moves through the world and interacts with others, to the examination of the complicated relationship between master and slave, to the challenges of interracial relationships-- all of it is addressed in ways that seem pertinent today and in ways I've not seen in other recent historical fiction, and which was a great reminder of the importance of reading novels from diverse perspectives and authors. That said, I struggled with the romance-- or rather, the sex. I thoroughly liked both characters and was rooting for their relationship, so it wasn't that... maybe it was that I was listening to the audiobook rather than reading, and hearing stock romance euphemisms out loud (manhood, core, center) that I would probably skim if I were reading made the sex scenes feel cliche. This is not a commentary on the audiobook narrator-- I thought she was fabulous-- but when the sex scenes focused on what Elle and Malcolm were thinking and the emotions they were feeling (rather than what their body parts were doing) I thought they were compelling. Beyond that I struggled with certain (horse-related) errors in the story-- issues that made me then question the historical accuracy of the spy plot. This is stuff so minor a non-horse person would probably totally overlook but it made me laugh as I listened while out doing my barn chores. No, I've never in 30 years of owning horses had one "panic" when they get a stone caught (or even a nail embedded!) in their hoof, and no, I cannot think of a situation in which a rider would prefer to hand the reins of her horse to another mounted rider *before* dismounting (let alone the logistical difficulties of doing so without split reins). But this is nitpicky.
For fans of Historical Romance, this book is a worthy read. For those interested in a deeper representation of slavery and its impacts, this book offers is a complex and nuanced perspective that is well-rendered and important. ...more
This book about 4 female Civil War spies was a must-read for me and was everything I'd hoped-- the final line of the epilogue leaving me with goosebumThis book about 4 female Civil War spies was a must-read for me and was everything I'd hoped-- the final line of the epilogue leaving me with goosebumps (I'm not even kidding). I already knew about each of these women-- had even read parts of Rebel Rose's and all of Sarah Emma Edmonds' memoirs-- but I feel like I learned SO MUCH about them and the lengths that they and many others went through in pursuit of their ideals. Abbott gives a thorough, compelling, suspenseful account of each woman's life during the war years, portraying them each with sensitivity and careful detail, giving voice to their beliefs and allowing the reader to come to her own conclusion about each woman (my conclusion: I'd like to hang out with Sara Emma Edmonds and be a fly on the wall near the rest, just to watch them in action). I am so impressed with the amount of research that went into this book and the seamless way Abbott combines direct quotes with novelistic description, often managing to end chapters on cliffhangers. My one criticism, which is owing to my preference for reading fiction and that I mostly read in fits and starts these days, is that I had a hard time keeping track of the many minor personages who dot the pages. I don't see how this could be avoided in a work of non-fiction, however. I hope this book will help these ladies (and others!) take their rightful place in history-- they're a fascinating lot! ...more
I think it's no secret that I love character driven novels, and this one, told in first person from Mr. March's perspective and then Mrs. March's oughI think it's no secret that I love character driven novels, and this one, told in first person from Mr. March's perspective and then Mrs. March's ought to have filled the bill for me in that respect and also in its subject matter (Civil War, Little Women). Alas, it didn't. I listened to this as an audiobook and part of my trouble may be that I found the narrator's voice incongruous with what I imagined for the voice of a 40 year old man (the age ascribed to Mr. March). The narrator sounds a good 20 years older-- it's not that he doesn't do a good job, just that I kept thinking he didn't sound 40 (though, at the time the average lifespan was 45, I think, so...). I do wonder if the book would have been more successful for me had I read it instead of listening to it, since the narration kept pulling me out of the story. So there's that. But also, I mostly found myself irritated with Mr. March and his blathering about principles while never fully understanding them. He witnesses a slave being whipped, he's a conductor on the underground railroad, he goes to war to fight for abolition, and he helps teach "contraband" to read, and yet, despite all this, he seems to never truly grasp the plight of the enslaved, or even the free, blacks he encounters. This character flaw is mentioned in the book, but while I expected him to eventually realize his naivete, he persists in it. How was he completely unaware that white Union soldiers might be racist too? How could he be surprised that not everyone in the North was fighting the war for "the cause"? To add to my irritation, when the narration switches to Marmee (Mrs. March) I found her to sound and act exactly the same as March. They both spend a lot of time doing very little, despite always *wanting* to act. I found it hard to swallow some of Marmee's comments and thoughts about the black women she encounters, when we're led to believe from Mr. March that she has many times wept over the plight of slaves and berated others for their lack of action to help the slaves. Maybe it's meant to show the difference between March's perception of his wife and her reality, but for me it rang false. So much of the emotion in this novel rang false for me, seeming more told than felt. The epiphanies, when they came, seemed obvious, superficial. There is beautiful writing here and obvious attention to period detail-- the book is well-researched and includes fascinating information about how the Union dealt with "contraband." I never realized that the North leased out plantations to Northerners (how did I not know this?)! All of it is told in gorgeous prose-- I marveled over many an image or description-- but beautiful sentences and high-minded ideals couldn't overcome characters that seemed inconsistent, silly, or stereotypical (it seems as though every stock slave character is represented here) and a plot that seemed needlessly drawn out, each episode functioning mostly to show us March's inability to act as strongly as he might wish and then feeling guilt over his own ineptitude. He seems almost adolescent in his belief that he's the only one to ever feel this way, and by the end, I wasn't convinced that he'd realized that not only had he been naive, but he still was. Despite being told by the book that he was a changed man, he didn't seem so very different to me. I originally gave the book 2 stars, but I'm still thinking about it days after finishing, still feeling impressed by the imagery and style and research, so I'm bumping it up to 3 stars. ...more
Beautiful imagery and an amazingly strong voice for the main character, Ash--I love the language and style of this novel. The ending was a shock to meBeautiful imagery and an amazingly strong voice for the main character, Ash--I love the language and style of this novel. The ending was a shock to me, especially the last paragraph or so. I closed the book with a completely changed perception of the narrator....more
I learned so much reading this book! While I knew of Bet Van Lew, I'd never even heard of Mary Bowser, and now that I have, I can't understand why I wI learned so much reading this book! While I knew of Bet Van Lew, I'd never even heard of Mary Bowser, and now that I have, I can't understand why I was never taught about her in school. This novel is chock full of historical goodness that is clearly the result of extensive research and gives an eye-opening account of life for slave and free blacks before and during the Civil War. A must-read for fans of Civil War novels or African American and Women's history....more
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