The year is 1864. For three years the American War Between The States (Civil War) has been raging, and for three years the Union Militia have been recruiting – by fair means or foul – every army aged male in the south. Somehow the Colley family eluded them for all this time, but, when Adair is 18, her father, Judge Marquis Colley is arrested for disloyalty and beaten with a wagon-spoke. The Union Militia stole their horses, chickens and geese and tried to burn the house down. A sudden, providential downpour of rain saved that, but Adair and her two sisters Savannah and Mary are forced to flee. They make their way to Iron mountain to intercede for their father, but en-route Adair is denounced and on her arrival she is arrested and thrown into a women’s prison. Here, she takes the eye of the Major who is required to interrogate her, and together they engineer her escape. She heads off through St Louis in search of her home and her family (all the while holding fast to her love for the Major – transferred to battle just prior to her flight) but will she ever see either again?

This was excellent. I especially loved the writing style, which took a while to get used to but was very effective.

received as part of a trade from Neverbelilith. Thanks

For three years the American Civil War has been raging. Judge Marquis Colley of southern Missouri has managed to maintain neutrality but he is finally arrested by Union soldiers. The Union soldiers stole their livestock and tried to burn the house down. His eldest daughter, Adair, age 18 and her two sisters Savannah and Mary decide to go to Iron Mountain to get their father back.

On the way there Adair is arrested as a spy and put into a female prison. Major Neumann is charged with interrogating her and getting her confession. Adair refuses to confess something she did not do and the Major and Adair fall in love.

Major Neumann is transferred and before leaving engineers Adair's escape with the promise of seeing her after the war. The remainder of the story is their torturous and treacherous path back home and to each other.

I enjoyed this story and especially the letters at the beginning of each chapter. This is a story about the people who happen to be in the path of war.

Reading now!

Adair Colley and her family have managed to escape being pulled in to the Civil War for a few years before the militia comes to her home, arrests her father, tries to find her brother, and when they cannot, set the house on fire. Adair and her sisters leave the house with just a few personal belongings to try and find their father. In to enemy territory, she inquires about her father and instead is denounced as a spy and sent to jail without her sisters.

For each section of this book, it felt like the author was going to make that part the main part of the novel and I always hoped that it wouldn't be. About half way through the book, when Adair finally got out of jail, I realized I was so bored with the book that I decided not to continue with it. I couldn't tell if Adair's emotions were real or not, which bothered me, and I found that I just couldn't connect with her, so I didn't care what happened. I'm not a huge Civil War fan which could be part of the problem, but even if this took place in a different time I don't think I would be any more interested in it.

This book is back with me :)

sent to my birthday partner. Happy Birthday!!

this got here safely!

Thank you for such a wonderful and thoughtful birthday gift.

edited 7/20/2012:

I found myself drawn into this story. Set aside the fact that it seemed rushed when our accused "Southern Spy" heroine and her Northern Interrogator fell in love while she was imprisoned. What drew me in was the hardships shown toward females. I knew from reading other books during this time that The Civil War was a very hard time with families torn apart and lives disrupted in massive ways. This was a look at how the martial law implemented in some states such as Missouri which had both Northern and Southern ties to the war really impacted the daily lives of the people living in it.

on the take a book/leave a book shelf.