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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I read this book to learn more about Mary Bowser; however, she is present in only a small percentage of the section on Elizabeth van Lew. Nonetheless she represents a big percentage of the value of that spy-ring, being a slave/spy in the Jefferson Davis White House.
The four women include two with northern sympathies, Emma Edmundson and Elizabeth van Lew and two with southern, Belle Boyde and Rose Greenhow. That the story is told chronologically, alternating among the women works because they are working the Washington, DC-Richmond, VA area and alerting their militaries about the same battles. The alternating structure also allows for the some cliff hanger chapter endings, making it a page turner for the most part.
The four women include two with northern sympathies, Emma Edmundson and Elizabeth van Lew and two with southern, Belle Boyde and Rose Greenhow. That the story is told chronologically, alternating among the women works because they are working the Washington, DC-Richmond, VA area and alerting their militaries about the same battles. The alternating structure also allows for the some cliff hanger chapter endings, making it a page turner for the most part.
Took me 5 days to get in about 120 pages. I just couldn't get into it.
This is the story of four female spies operating in the Civil War, in and around D.C. or Richmond, with two for the Union and two for the Confederacy. One was disguised as a man and fought for the Union; one was a nouveau riche Yankee imported to the South by her family and spied for the Union; the other two worked for the Confederacy (and one of them appeared to do it solely for attention, which is weird given that she was supposed to be spying). There were actually several women who were known to have disguised themselves in order to fight but were caught based on feminine behavior; for example, a feminine flick of the head, or maybe more obviously, forgetting how to put on pants and trying to put them on over her head. The women focused on in the book were daring and took dangerous chances for their causes (although it's hard to feel much more than disgust for the Confederate spies). But the person who was most intriguing got the least attention: a free black woman, Mary, who worked for the Yankee as a housekeeper in Richmond. She agreed to work undercover in Jefferson Davis's house (President of the Confederacy), posing as a slave as part of the Yankee's spy network. She would gather information from the Davis household and pass it on to her former boss through a complicated system involving laundry-based signals and taking dresses to a tailor to be mended. I guess that the reason Mary's story wasn't more front and center is because there's less information on her, but her story sounds fascinating and I wish we had heard a lot more about her. Overall, good novel-like pop-history read.
Book Riot Read Harder 2016 -- Biography
Book Riot Read Harder 2016 -- Biography
I liked this one immensely. American Rose was somewhat of a disappointment but this one brings Abbott back to form. It was fair and balanced, focusing on these women and their contributions to the Civil War. The characters are engaging and the narrative flows smoothly. Entertaining and true.
Wonderful job of weaving together the stories of four women during the Civil War. Two spied for the Confederacy, one for the Union and another renamed herself Frank and enlisted in the Union Army. Thoroughly enjoyable history lesson that read like a thriller.
I really enjoyed this book. My rating of 3 stars is due to the fact that it was well-written and somewhat compelling but not really gripping! I did like the way the author told the story chronologically so that the adventures of each of the four women were told simultaneously. And as a history buff, I learned a lot of things I didn't previously know about the brave sacrifices of some women in the Civil War. But it was not a page turner. I struggled to get through it. I read at night before bed and I generally read until I am ready to shut off the light. This was not a book that made it hard to turn off the light!
So good and interesting and I want to hear more about women spies and also Elizabeth is a BAMF
I couldn’t wait to read this book every night. I love history books, but that’s still rare for me. It is written more like a novel than a nonfiction text, so if you’re looking for straight out facts, this isn’t the book for you. However if you enjoy interweaving stories, it’s a good one!
Long but Good
As this book intentionally avoids embellishments or fictionalization it can be slow at times. That said I appreciate the honesty of this story. These women were incredible, not just for their time but these actions would make them a hero today. It was an honor to read about such brave, badass women.
As this book intentionally avoids embellishments or fictionalization it can be slow at times. That said I appreciate the honesty of this story. These women were incredible, not just for their time but these actions would make them a hero today. It was an honor to read about such brave, badass women.
I enjoyed this historical non fiction and learning about these 4 women. It was written in novel form and so was easy and enjoyable to read. So many women have gone unacknowledged through the centuries...