Readers Dessert

I have a complicated relationship with Bohjalians books. To me, they are either very good like Hour of the Witch or meh, like the Princess of Las Vegas. So I went into this book with caution but with hope. I’m glad to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Kudos to Bohjalian for always doing impeccable research. During the Civil War, Libby, after a short marriage, is left by herself with only her niece and her two freed slaves when her husband heads off to fight for the rebels. A Union soldier who is gravely injured enters their lives.

Despite their distrust of the Northerner, they do everything in their power to save him at the risk of their own lives. The book does head to the cliched as Libby and Jonathan, the jackal, do fall in love as Libby comes to grip with the realization that her husband is most likely dead. But the ending is a surprise and not cliched in the least. Based on a true story, I think this is one of Chris Bohjalians best.

A favorite author, historical fiction & civil war- hit some spots!

This book takes place in the latter stages of the Civil War in Virginia. Libby, her niece & her 2 freed slaves run a grist mill & supply flour to the Confederacy. Her husband is away fighting & she knows he has been captured but no updates for a very long time. There are parts of this that I will not share in the review as people should find out as they read it.

I loved the research that the author has done for this book & he shares background information at the end of the book.

I found it to move along quickly, love a strong female main character & a tie in with Vermont!

This Civil War-era novel by Chris Bohjalian is based on the true story of a Virginia woman who rescued and brought back to health a Vermont lieutenant left to die in a neighboring house when the Union retreated from that area of Virginia. What is the right thing to do? This is a continuing theme and dilemma for Libby, the Virginia woman whose husband had been captured and was in a Union prison camp somewhere. Her choices were: 1) Hide him and try to get him back over the Union front lines? 2) Turn him over to the rebel army, where he would likely be killed? She had the decency to choose #1, at great risk to her own life and her family if he were discovered.

This was a well-written novel and a page-turner. The character development was well done and the harsh realities of the Civil War times were well-researched and weaved throughout the story.

I especially liked the author’s notes at the end, relating the real story and what changes he made to the story in the novel. I highly recommend the book for your reading pleasure. Thanks to BookBrowse and NetGalley for a pre-publication copy of the novel.

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley along with the publisher, Doubleday Books for the ARC to read.

This historical fiction read is inspired by a true story and set in Virginia near the end of the Civil War.

4.5 stars
We are introduced to Libby Steadman who is struggling to keep the farm and gristmill running, while her husband, Peter, is fighting for the Confederacy. She has the help of a formerly enslaved married couple, Joseph and Sally, along with her saucy and precocious niece, Jubilee.

Upon finding a severely injured Union officer, Jonathon Weybridge, Libby has impossible choices to make; does she leave him to die, or try to nurse him back to health and try to negotiate a trade for her husband? How can she hide him so no one knows? The characters are memorable and brought to life by Chris Bohjalian’s writing.

I was fully invested in this compelling story right from the start. Chris Bohjalian is a great storyteller and this was such an enjoyable read. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end. I always look forward to what Chris Bohjalian does next.