Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Oct 15, 2014 CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph rated it really liked it

Shelves: history-non-fiction, memoir-bio-autobio, audio

I was so excited to hear about the premise of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. I couldn't wait to read it. And while I had some quibbles with the author's writing style, I mostly enjoyed this book very much and learned so much from it, about the American Civil War in general and the active roles of women in that conflict specifically. I had no idea that women had played such active roles, not only in combat, but also in espionage and politics, so reading this story was a delightful surprise in tha I was so excited to hear about the premise of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. I couldn't wait to read it. And while I had some quibbles with the author's writing style, I mostly enjoyed this book very much and learned so much from it, about the American Civil War in general and the active roles of women in that conflict specifically. I had no idea that women had played such active roles, not only in combat, but also in espionage and politics, so reading this story was a delightful surprise in that respect. Karen Abbott seems to have painstakingly researched her topic and creates vivid pictures of the four women on which this book focuses. She includes a lot of detail, most of which feels germaine to the narrative. My primary complaint about her writing style was how she inserts details into her retellings which she could not possibly know. details about how someone's heels clicked on the floor as she walked back and forth, or what was going on in the mind of a drowning woman just before she died. I realize it's artistic liberty to make the story more intense and more readable, but when the book comes with a foreword specifically mentioning how everything in the story is factual. I appreciate that the only dialogue is not invented, but only quoted if actually recorded in a historic source. I'm sure that Abbott observed scrupulous care with keeping all salient details and quotations historically true and accurate. I just personally felt that her level of extrapolation and embellishment was distracting, and made the story feel more like a fictionalization and less like a true event.
However, Abbott's writing style and detailed research certainly does create vivid, life-like characters. I may not have LIKED what I heard about most of the women, but I had a strong sense of who they were, and what motivated their decisions. The seething rage and brilliant cunning of Rose Greenhow, the reckless, attention-seeking (narcissistic or borderline?) bravado of Belle Boyd, the slightly delusional but nevertheless self-sacrificing bravery of Emma Edmondson/ Frank Thompson, and the intelligent, relentless determination and yet loneliness of Elizabeth Van Lew. Each of these women is remarkable and admirable for their accomplishments, if not their personal charms or lack thereof. I'll admit that my disgust at the racism of Belle Boyd and Rose Greenhow strongly colored my perceptions of them, but even without the personal outrage, I'm not sure I would have found them likable characters. I liked Emma/ Frank a lot more, but found her disturbingly unstable and almost self-delusional about so much in her life. Elizabeth Van Lew was perhaps the most self-aware and even handed of the characters, and thus I found that I liked her much more than any of the other women. I admired her principles, and how they informed all aspects of her life and behavior, regardless of the risks to herself and all for which and whom she was responsible. The audio edition helps to inform this strong sense of character as well, I think. The narrator does a lovely job giving each of the women a distinctive voice and mannerisms, and separating those from the many other characters introduced throughout the narrative.
The level of detail about the people and situations around the primary women of this narrative could almost be distracting, and yet I can see why the author felt they were necessary to set the stage and fully explain the situations and stakes which the four women faced.
All in all, I came away with a lot more knowledge about the American Civil War, and a lot more sadness about it. I don't think history books and rousing movies adequately convey the horror of it, the blind hatred towards those of the opposing side, and the heinous atrocities committed against vulnerable people of each side. I also came away a little angry that, after graduating high school AND college, with history classes during both, I could walk away with no knowledge of the extent and importance of women's roles (outside of nursing) during the Civil War. Women weren't just nurses or disguised soldiers. They represented the South in European diplomatic encounters. They provided intelligence that literally changed the course of the War over and over again. This should be common public knowledge. There should be historical monuments to the accomplishments of women like these, instead of burying them in the footnotes of American history. The overriding sadness of most of their lives after the war ended should not negate their heroism and impressive accomplishments during it.
So thank you, Ms Abbott, for shedding some light on the bravery and determination of these women. Everyone should read this book and others like it, and learn a little more about the accomplishments of women in history, and the horrors that come from extreme political and cultural divisions within a country. ...more

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