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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The stories of four women who were involved in spying or soldiering during the US Civil War are told - in a narrative non-fiction format. The book switches from woman to woman as it follows their stories chronologically. At first this made it a bi hard for me to follow and I would think "now which one is this?" when it switched to someone new. But after a while I got to know them pretty well and had no problems telling them apart. Abbott's style of narrating their actions and words (often direct quotations from journals and diaries) as if she's writing a story instead of dry history made the story very interesting and the women seem like people I could relate to, not far off figures in history. The bravery of keeping secrets and trying to aid "the enemy" while your neighbors are watching your every move really came to life for me. The pathos of having to care for a child while in prison, the desperate circumstances that would cause you to don men's clothing and join the army, and the desire to make your name known by boldly defying the enemy all came across quite vividly.
Parts of the book I read in print, and parts I listened to on audio. The book is quite lengthy, and after an hour or so of reading the print version I would get a bit tired of it. But the audiobook narrator (Karen White) did an remarkable job of dramatizing the dialog and I found it very enjoyable to listen to her performance. Aside from it's length, I found this an intriguing look at the lengths women went to in serving their countries, the cause, or their own ends during a brutal war. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, especially from the female point of view.
Parts of the book I read in print, and parts I listened to on audio. The book is quite lengthy, and after an hour or so of reading the print version I would get a bit tired of it. But the audiobook narrator (Karen White) did an remarkable job of dramatizing the dialog and I found it very enjoyable to listen to her performance. Aside from it's length, I found this an intriguing look at the lengths women went to in serving their countries, the cause, or their own ends during a brutal war. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, especially from the female point of view.
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
I’ve had this book in my collection for a few years & I’m happy i finally had time to read it. I read and listened to it- both wonderful ways to see the stories of these four women come to life. I’ll admit- as a Yankee, Van Lew was my absolute favorite. Her spunk, determination, & patriotism inspired me!
An eye opening account of how four women were influential in determining the course of the Civil War through their spying and espionage. I had never heard of these four women, so was excited to learn about them. Although non-fiction, this is an intriguing read so moves quickly.
2.5
The premise is absolutely fascinating: four women from very different backgrounds who had engaged in espionage during the American Civil War. Their stories deserve to be told and to be known by a modern audience! Unfortunately I did not like the delivery.
I absolutely detest non-fiction works that are written similarly to fiction. In my opinion, sentences like “so-and-so thought this” or “she was feeling terrified during this situation” do not belong in non-fiction works. It’s a lazy way for an author to try and get a reader to connect emotionally to the event and it often ends up putting the author’s own thoughts and feelings into the historical event. Abbot uses this technique frequently and it drove me up the wall.
Additionally, I was very annoyed that despite Abbot’s assertion at the introduction of the book that she would correct any exaggerations or myths surrounding the exploits of these women, SHE NEVER DID IT. I would have loved a candid look and the thin line between the truth and the mythologizing but this book doesn’t deliver.
Overall, it was just so disappointing.
The premise is absolutely fascinating: four women from very different backgrounds who had engaged in espionage during the American Civil War. Their stories deserve to be told and to be known by a modern audience! Unfortunately I did not like the delivery.
I absolutely detest non-fiction works that are written similarly to fiction. In my opinion, sentences like “so-and-so thought this” or “she was feeling terrified during this situation” do not belong in non-fiction works. It’s a lazy way for an author to try and get a reader to connect emotionally to the event and it often ends up putting the author’s own thoughts and feelings into the historical event. Abbot uses this technique frequently and it drove me up the wall.
Additionally, I was very annoyed that despite Abbot’s assertion at the introduction of the book that she would correct any exaggerations or myths surrounding the exploits of these women, SHE NEVER DID IT. I would have loved a candid look and the thin line between the truth and the mythologizing but this book doesn’t deliver.
Overall, it was just so disappointing.
informative
sad
slow-paced
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/liar-temptress-soldier-spy-four-women-undercover-in-the-civil-war-by-karen-abbott/
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
These individual stories are captivating. Yet I was frustrated by the format of telling it by what happened each year, rather than telling about each individually. Therefore I read parts of it by skipping around to see what happened with a particular woman. Still, found it fascinating and read the whole book in 24 hours.