"The garb of a Southern lady would be her uniform, her cleverness her weapon, her battlefield the prisons and markets and dining rooms of Richmond, or wherever else her duty beckoned her."
-from the novel
This book was chosen for our book club because we could get several copies in a Book Bundle from our library and because it was a bit different from what we had read most recently. Historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine and, I believe, several of our members. I confess to being something of a history buff and the Civil War era is of particular interest to me. I have to say I have read many of this genre and setting that I liked much more. I will give this one only a 3 but I am glad I read it.
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Van Lew, a real historical figure, is a 43-year-old spinster living in Richmond at the outset of the Civil War. The Van Lews are fervent Unionists who find themselves in a hotbed of rebels as Virginia votes to secede from the United States. She risks her own safety by nurturing the Union prisoners being kept in deplorable conditions in the infamous Libby Prison and others. Not only that, she finds creative ways to pass secret messages from captive officers to the Union command. I have visited the site of the Confederate prison in Andersonville, GA, and the descriptions were horrifying, which really helped me to better understand what Lizzie was facing.
A friend who is a retired professor of Civil War history read the book and felt it was well-researched. Many situations and historical characters in the novel were familiar to me such as the capture of spy Rose Greenhow, the work of detective Allan Pinkerton and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, killed by friendly fire. There were surprises, too, for example I didn't know about the "Great Yankee Wonder," the escape of over 100 prisoners from Libby Prison and the reputation of General Benjamin Butler, called Butler the Beast, as the most hated Union officer. I would have thought that superlative would have described Sherman. My husband and I recently saw a one-man show featuring reflections of General Robert E. Lee. In reading The Spymistress, I found myself recalling a number of battles and events he had mentioned such as Seven Pines and the Wilderness.
It was interesting to me that Lizzie dreamed of meeting President Lincoln although she did not have the chance, due to his assassination soon after the end of the war. It reminded me of the children's book, Pink and Say, by Patricia Polacco, where the hand that has touched the hand of Lincoln is almost sacred. (A powerful story, if you've never read it!) Lizzie did, however, get to meet General Grant who thanked her for the valuable intelligence she had provided him.
In summary, a quote from the book jacket: "...in... Chiaverini's riveting tale of high stakes espionage, a great heroine of the Civil War finally gets her due." I really admired Lizzie's bravery, selflessness, unwavering patriotism and devotion to her cause. I look forward to our group discussion tomorrow though I suspect this novel will not be a favorite.
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When our group met, we had more folks than usual to discuss The Spymistress, eighteen of us. Refreshments included delicious homemade ginger cakes which were mentioned in the novel. As the one providing beverages, I could not bring myself to buy buttermilk which would have also been fitting.
Our average rating was 3.1, with the only 4's given by our male participants. Interesting! Many group members had more to contribute than opinions of the plot and literary style. One who has read extensively on the Civil War brought a large volume with photographs of Richmond pre and post-war. Another had lived in Richmond and provided insight into the "Virginia attitude." Still another shared artifacts of the Confederacy held by her family. Also our retired history professor could answer many questions about the accuracy of the setting and events.
Our group pretty much agreed that Lizzie Van Lew's bravery and perseverance were admirable. I think many of us were surprised to learn of the work and sacrifice of Union sympathizers in the Confederate capital and many of us learned of Elizabeth Van Lew's heroism for the first time. One person who gave the book a rating of 3 said she felt as if she were reading a magazine article because the writing lacked emotion. Another who did not rate the book told me she knew several pages into it, she just didn't have the desire to finish it.
Though the novel received only a 3.1, the group meeting and discussion merited a 5!
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