Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy
By Karen Abbott
Harper September 2014
544 pages
Received for review from TLC Book Tours and the publisher
The Civil War was one of the most terrible conflicts in our nation's history and had repercussions for years after it ended. While many people know about the major battles, few know of the many roles that women played during the war. Women took over for the men who went away to war by running farms and businesses. In this book, Karen Abbott introduces us to four fascinating women who took on men's roles and became soldiers and spies.
Ms. Abbott has written a wonderful book that brings history to vivid life. She manage to write about both sides without elevating one and condemning the other. We meet two women who support the Confederacy and two who fight for the Union. Belle Boyd becomes a spy for the Confederacy after the Union invades her hometown and Rose O'Neal Greenhow romanced Union generals in order to gain information. Emma Edmonds masquerades as a man to fight for the Union and Elizabeth Van Lew smuggles soldiers out of Confederate prisons and sends them back North.
There is a lot of history to take in from these pages. We meet soldiers and generals, presidents and slaves, and move from The White House to cities under siege and bloody battle fields. While readers jump back and forth between the women, she moves in chronological order. By laying out the book this way, Abbott is able to show connections between these very different women. I know a fair deal about the Civil War because of a great teacher in high school. Even if you don't consider yourself a Civil War buff, this book makes it easy to follow along. The focus is on the women and their stories, not memorizing dates and locations.
While you may not agree with many of the tactics or the motives of these women, their commitment and intelligence are admirable. They were women in a time when women were seen as second class citizens. Belle, Rose, Emma, and Elizabeth used their smarts, their feminine wiles, and even the perception that they were weak and stupid to gain information for their cause. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy is a perfect pick for the reader who loves history or learning about remarkable women.
There is a lot of history to take in from these pages. We meet soldiers and generals, presidents and slaves, and move from The White House to cities under siege and bloody battle fields. While readers jump back and forth between the women, she moves in chronological order. By laying out the book this way, Abbott is able to show connections between these very different women. I know a fair deal about the Civil War because of a great teacher in high school. Even if you don't consider yourself a Civil War buff, this book makes it easy to follow along. The focus is on the women and their stories, not memorizing dates and locations.
While you may not agree with many of the tactics or the motives of these women, their commitment and intelligence are admirable. They were women in a time when women were seen as second class citizens. Belle, Rose, Emma, and Elizabeth used their smarts, their feminine wiles, and even the perception that they were weak and stupid to gain information for their cause. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy is a perfect pick for the reader who loves history or learning about remarkable women.
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