mamalemma's review
4.0
Interesting tale of four women who worked as spies during the Civil War. Two spied for the Union, two for the Confederacy. While I recognize that victors write the history, the women selected for the book followed a definite pattern: the Union women were noble, while the Confederate women were coy and manipulative. I hated them -- truly, they made me angry, despite the years of distance between us. While the Unionists used their intellect to outwit the Confederates, the Confederate women used their looks and charm. "You wouldn't harm a poor, helpless woman, now would you?" Puh-leez.
The stories, nonetheless, were fascinating. In particular, Elizabeth's Union underground operation out of the Confederate capital of Richmond was pretty astounding, and she was never forgiven by her neighbors.
As an aside, I listened to this on several trips between the D.C. area and Richmond area, and much of the book took place along that route, in places I was seeing, so the timing was great.
Recommended reading for history buffs and people who like bad-ass women.
The stories, nonetheless, were fascinating. In particular, Elizabeth's Union underground operation out of the Confederate capital of Richmond was pretty astounding, and she was never forgiven by her neighbors.
As an aside, I listened to this on several trips between the D.C. area and Richmond area, and much of the book took place along that route, in places I was seeing, so the timing was great.
Recommended reading for history buffs and people who like bad-ass women.
musingsfromamandalyn's review
4.0
There are some non-fiction books that are very dry and difficult to get through. Then there is Karen Abbott who builds the worlds and characters as thoroughly as any historical fiction novel and you are swept up in the action and wanting to know what happens to each woman. I listened to this as an audiobook and did struggle quite a bit. I know that the book was set to follow the Civil War timeline, but given how unique each woman's experiences were, it was hard switching between the perspectives in this manner. I think I would have enjoyed and gotten more out of the book if each woman's tale had been told as its own part. Otherwise, I really liked the style and learning about these women during the War. I have read tales of WWII women but did not know there were so many different women fighting that long ago. The courage is remarkable.
emdowd's review
5.0
So impressed with the level if research and detail that went into this! I found Emma in particular to be a fascinating woman and I'm glad her story has been told. The Civil War has never been my favourite historical topic, but living outside Washington DC and relatively near so many battlefields (plus visiting Gettysburg last November) has rekindled the small interest I had before.
lmc168's review
3.0
Very interesting, but the pace was a little slow and I don't think it needed to be quite so long.
missamandamae's review
4.0
A very enjoyable read! I knew a little bit about each of these four women featured, but it was wonderful to read another Karen Abbott book that wove their stories together with so many more details and tidbits to keep you intrigued.
hrhaar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
kketelaar's review
3.0
Remember that at three stars I am still saying I liked the book. My main issue is that the writing was a bit disjointed, jumping from character to character. I understand the necessity of this, and it wouldn't have been such an issue except that just as we were caught up in a specific narrative about one of the ladies, we would switch to another person's story entirely. This meant that, instead of having the traditional feel of a "cliffhanger" which pulls you deeper into the flow of the story, it felt disjointed and any dramatic effect was lost. I think the book would have been better served by completing one story before moving onto a narrative about another of the ladies.
binstonbirchill's review
3.0
A very interesting story of four women who participated in the Civil War in various undercover roles. The story follows the course of the war by jumping back and forth between the four women's activities. It's a very light and easy read, perfect for those who have a hard time with non-fiction. The author acknowledges in her intro and in the notes that the accounts tend to be sensationalized so it's a good idea to take certain scenes with a grain of salt.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
2.0
This was a pretty entertaining book to listen to over the past month as I drove to and from work and on other errands. It tells the story of four women - two with Union sympathies and two with Confederate sympathies, who worked as spies (and in one case passed as a man and enlisted as a soldier) during the Civil War.
A couple of things that struck me. Belle Boyd was a complete piece of work, not in a good way. What she wanted most in her life was attention, specifically attention from men; she was basically the Kim Kardashian of her day. Both of the Confederate women came across as very high-and-mighty. I'm not sure if that is part of the author's bias or what, but I liked both of the Union women much better.
My big issue with this book is that I'm pretty sure it's bad history. I would need to know more about the author's sources and notes to know for sure (in an audiobook you generally don't have access to end material such as bibliographies and notes), but the author continually tells us what various people are thinking and feeling. I tried to give Abbott the benefit of a doubt; maybe these four women kept particularly detailed journals and letters. However, when she described what one of the women was thinking and feeling as she died, the author pretty much lost all credibility in my eyes.
A couple of things that struck me. Belle Boyd was a complete piece of work, not in a good way. What she wanted most in her life was attention, specifically attention from men; she was basically the Kim Kardashian of her day. Both of the Confederate women came across as very high-and-mighty. I'm not sure if that is part of the author's bias or what, but I liked both of the Union women much better.
My big issue with this book is that I'm pretty sure it's bad history. I would need to know more about the author's sources and notes to know for sure (in an audiobook you generally don't have access to end material such as bibliographies and notes), but the author continually tells us what various people are thinking and feeling. I tried to give Abbott the benefit of a doubt; maybe these four women kept particularly detailed journals and letters. However, when she described what one of the women was thinking and feeling as she died, the author pretty much lost all credibility in my eyes.