A Review: Liar Temptress Soldier Spy (I Met the Author!)

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Karen Abbott tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything during the Civil War. Seventeen-year-old Belle Boyd, an avowed rebel with a dangerous temper, shot a Union soldier in her home and became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her considerable charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds disguised herself as a man to enlist as a Union private named Frank Thompson, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the war and infiltrating enemy lines. The beautiful widow Rose O'Neal Greenhow engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring—even placing a former slave inside the Confederate White House—right under the noses of increasingly suspicious rebel detectives. With a cast of real-life characters, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, Detective Allan Pinkerto,n, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoléon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy shines a dramatic new light on these daring—and, until now, unsung—heroines.

Thoughts: I LOVED this book! Even though a reader's copy was provided, I ended up purchasing it through Audible as well so I could listen when I was editing photos and cooking dinner and reaching my 10,000 steps. I needed to know what was going to happen next! I'd heard of Belle Boyd from one of my favorite podcasts, Stuff You Missed in History Class, and had been interested in hearing more about women involved in the Civil War after reading Erin Lindsay McCabe's I Shall Be Near to You (which is FANTASTIC), so this seemed like it would fit the bill. Abbott doesn't disappoint-- she really brings each of these women to life with beautiful prose and her attention to detail. If you're into fast-paced nonfiction about incredible women in America's history go grab a copy NOW!

Oh, and don't be jealous, but Karen Abbott just happened to be in Chicago this week so I also got to meet her and get my book signed!!! Yep, so cool. Here's some photos from the event at Women and Children First in Andersonville (these were taken on a Nikon and edited on an iPhone-- be nice!):

The Author: Karen Abbott is the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City, American Rose, and, most recently, Liar Temptress Soldier Spy, which was named one of the best books of 2014 by Library Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, Amazon, and Flavorwire, and which was optioned by Sony for a miniseries. A native of Philadelphia, she now lives in New York City, where she's at work on her next book.

*I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours and Harper Perennial in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, TLC!

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A Review: Again and Again by Ellen Bravo

Summary (from the book jacket):

If sexual shenanigans disqualified candidates for Congress, the U.S. would have no goverment. But what if the candidate was a pro-choice Republican support by feminist groups-- and a college rapist whose secret could be exposed by a leading women's rights advocate?

Again and Again tells the story of Deborah Borenstein-- as an established women's rights leader in 2010 Washington, DC, and as a college student, thirty years earlier, whose roommate is raped by a fellow student. The perpetrator is now a Senate candidate who has the backing of the major feminist groups...which puts Deborah in a difficult position. Torn between her past and present, as the race goes on, Deborah finds herself tested as a wife, a mother, a feminist, and a friend.

Thoughts: Despite the disturbing content, I was interested in the concept of this book as I've actually never read a fiction title that explored sexual assault in the political realm. I found it informative, in the sense that there's much to research after reading, and enjoyed getting into something that was focused on women's issues in such a direct way. It definitely stirred emotions as the reader realizes its meant to emphasize how far society still has to go on this issue. Is it true that women face the same scrutiny and disbelief when reporting date rape now that they did in the 1970s?

This was very much a first novel for the author, but could still be a great learning tool for young men and women. I was impressed with Bravo's representation of Deborah and Liddie's relationship, but less so with Deborah and her daughter, and even less so with Deborah and her husband as they felt one dimensional and relied on the snotty teenager/inattentive husband stereotypes. The storyline had much to offer, but was somewhat dulled down by the technical language of Deborah's daily life and the tidbits clumsily added to modernize the story. I don't want to share too much as the summary has already provided enough, but I would recommend the novel based on the importance of the content and can definitely say I can't wait to see more from Bravo in  the future.

*Please note that those who have suffered from similar encounters may want to refrain from reading as the defining scene is graphic.

I received a copy of this novel from TLC Book Tours and She Writes Press in exchange for an honest review.

*Ellen Bravo is the head of Family Values @ Work, a network of state coalitions advocating family-friendly policies, and an award-winning writer. Her award-winning nonfiction books include Taking on the Big Boys, or Why Feminism Is Good for Families, Business and the Nation. A Cleveland native, she makes her home in Wisconsin.

Take a look at what other bloggers are saying on the tour here.

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A Review: An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd

Bess Crawford is serving as a nurse in France during WWI when she suddenly comes down with Spanish influenza. An illness that is killing more than the shots fired on the battlefield, Bess is quickly transported back to England and into the care of her parents. However, when Bess finally emerges from her prolonged sickness, she remembers the events that occurred just before she succumbed to the illness. Was the body Private Wilson revealed to her that of Major Carson, a family friend and celebrated military man? And, if so, why was his body covered in an ill-fitting uniform without identification? Slowly Bess begins to put the pieces together in order to uncover an act that she believes must be shown justice. As Bess trust her instincts and takes action, in her desperate attempt to discover the murderer, the target begins to track her every move and harm all those that stand in the way.

An Unmarked Grave is a title in a series of novels following the nurse/detective Bess Crawford during the Great War. I was unfamiliar with this series, but agreed to read this one without first discovering the others written before.  If you're looking for a new series to get involved with, I suggest taking the time to look this one up. I could easily grasp the characters and the dynamics between them without reading the novels prior. I had a sense of who Bess was on her own, through her actions and thought processes, without really needing other characters to provide much detail.

I was drawn to this title because it sounded very similar to the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear, which I've become quite fond of. While the two focus on the same period, same profession and face the same hardships, Todd's novel felt like a more authentic description of life as a nurse on the lines, or a soldier on leave in a busy city, slowly being lost to an enemy.  There was grit and reality that seemed to shine through in An Unmarked Grave that I've always wanted to find in the Maisie Dobbs series. I also appreciated that the authors didn't repeat Bess's story again and again to keep the reader up to speed if they had not read the previous titles in the series. While I understand the logic behind adding these details, I have always felt that Winspear takes it a level that is unnecessary and spoils the pacing of the story.

My only complaints were that many of the situations seemed to work out too perfectly against odds that just were not plausible, and the motive, finally uncovered, was hastily explained and just a bit weak. The charming characters and their stories, trials and successes really made this book an enjoyable read for me.

If you enjoy historical wartime dramas, with strong female leads, and mysteries that keep you going until the very conclusion of the book, a Bess Crawford mystery is worth looking into.

I received a copy of An Unmarked Grave from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review of the title.

To learn more about the authors, visit their website: http://charlestodd.com/.

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