A review by lilacs_book_bower
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

I could not get past the deadnaming of Frank, who was born Emma, but living as a man BEFORE the war broke out, and frankly, I don't need to read about Southern white ladies supporting the war, if there is not critical thought analyzing their actions or reasons.  I am simply not going to be rooting for them as people or care about what happens to them.  There are many other women she could have followed for this story, maybe someone not white?  I am sure there were black women who worked as spies and would fit the theme. 

 As others have mentioned, the book reads a bit too much like fiction, and Abbot seems to just take what the women said/wrote at face value, without any objective authorial analysis.   Such a pity, as I have long looked forward to this book.  The only plus I will mention is that I didn't have problems with the author switching between the women's stories, as she was following them chronologically (other readers did, so YMMV.). I have not read other Abbot books, but if this is her as a "popular historian" I won't be reading any more.