“Masterfully written, The Secrets of Mary Bowser shines a new light onto our country’s darkest history.”
—Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader
“Packed with drama, intrigue, love, loss, and most of all, the resilience of a remarkable heroine….What a treat!”
—Kelly O'Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
Based on the remarkable true story of a freed African American slave who returned to Virginia at the onset of the Civil War to spy on the Confederates, The Secrets of Mary Bowser is a masterful debut by an exciting new novelist. Author Lois Leveen combines fascinating facts and ingenious speculation to craft a historical novel that will enthrall readers of women’s fiction, historical fiction, and acclaimed works like Cane River and Cold Mountain that offer intimate looks at the twin nightmares of slavery and Civil War. A powerful and unforgettable story of a woman who risked her own freedom to bring freedom to millions of others, The Secrets of Mary Bowser celebrates the courageous achievements of a little known but truly inspirational American heroine.
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"I'm not normally a fan of historical fiction. I slept through history in school, I found the excessive memorization of dates and battles fought meant little without a human element with which to relate. Parts of this book did send my mind wandering, the array of names, dates and battles were difficult to keep straight at times, especially when I'm not interested in history in the first place. But, and this is a big revelation for me, I did not skip read this book. Somehow, it caught my attention from the beginning and I was able to read it straight through and enjoy the story. Perhaps it was the characters--following along on Mary's journey as she grew up but never away from her roots, the struggles and sacrifices of her parents, the mini-stories of the rescued slaves as they traveled North to freedom, the intricacies of Mary's complex relationship with Bet (who would be a fascinating psychological study on her own merit), the colorful personality of McNiven, the love between Mary and Wilson--that helped me relate with the backstory going on in the book. It may have been the author's adept use of accurate regional dialogue, enough to get the gist but not so excessive that it became difficult to read. She obviously did her homework, the book was well researched and, IMHO, very well written. She made the story of a former slave who obviously served an integral part in the Civil War espionage game interesting, and that takes talent. I was impressed, and that's difficult for me to say in this modern era of "trashy novels" written by under-educated hacks who took a community college creative writing course in how to appeal to the lowest common denominator (Twilight or 50 Shades anyone?). This book actually inspired me to think "Maybe I can do this after all" after years of giving up on my writing. I believe this is her first fiction attempt, I will look forward to more from Lois Leveen."
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Angie (4 out of 5 stars)