Thrust into the savagery of the Civil War, a Chinese immigrant serving in the Union Army, a nurse doubling as a spy for the North, and a one-armed Confederate cavalryman find their lives inextricably entwined.
Fleeing drought and famine in China, Johnny Tom arrives in America with dreams of becoming a citizen. Having survived vigilantes hunting “yellow dogs” and slave auction- blocks, Johnny is kidnapped from his Mississippi village by Confederate soldiers, taken from his wife and daughter, and forced to fight for the South. Eventually defecting to the Union side, he is promised American citizenship in exchange for his loyal services. But first Johnny must survive the butchery of battles and the cruelties inflicted on non-white soldiers.
Desperate to find Johnny, his daughter, Era, is enlisted as a spy. She agrees to work as a nurse at Confederate camps while scouting for the North. Amidst the unspeakable carnage of wounded soldiers, she finds solace in Warren Petticomb, a cavalryman who lost an arm at Shiloh. As devastation mounts in both armies, Era must choose where her loyalties lie—with her beloved father in the North, or with the man who passionately sustains her in the South.
A novel of extraordinary scope that will stand as a defining work on the Chinese immigrant experience, The Spy Lover is a paean to the transcendence of love and the resilience of the human spirit.
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"If I could give it more then 5 stars I would. Kiana Davenport is one of my favorite authors. This was the first book of hers I have read that did not take place in Hawaii. This was about the civil war. Three main characters, Johnnie Tom, Era and Warren. Johnnie Tom is chinese, the father of Era. He is fighting in the war. Warren is fighting on the opposite side of Johnnie Tom. Era is a nurse on the battlefields. The characters have stayed with me since I finished the book about a week ago. Kiana you never disappoint. I learned things I didn't know about the civil war. I love your writing. I await your next book. Thank you."
— Val (5 out of 5 stars)
" I loved this book even though it is about a Chinese immigrant in the Civil War! Beautiful writing, great characters and a good cry at the end, what more can you ask for? "
— Rebecca, 1/8/2014" This book was like a documentary with a story line thrown in to keep the reader interested. "
— Lucia, 12/31/2013" Got this in a giveaway. Amazing read "
— Carmen, 12/30/2013" Set in the Civil War, it was from the perspective a Chinese soldier and his family and the struggle between the two sides. It is quite graphic in description of war life and injuries but probably realistic. I would recommend to anyone interested in history and the Civil War, very good. "
— Westbarb, 12/25/2013" Truly great novel. "
— Margo, 12/18/2013" Kiana Davenport channels stories related to her heritage. From her first book, Shark Dialogues, forward, she weaves beautifully and horrifically detailed stories of love, loss, and redemption. "
— Susan, 4/10/2013" Fascinating story of hidden history... Also good at depicting the realistic horrors of the civil war in a non romanticized way. "
— Melissa, 12/27/2012" A beautiful book about an ugly time in history. Lyrical. Worth reading. "
— Samantha, 8/23/2012Kiana Davenport is the author of the novels House of Many Gods, Song of the Exile, and Shark Dialogues, and two story collections, House of Skin and Cannibal Nights. A native Hawaiian, her novels and stories have won numerous awards and have been translated into twenty languages.
Todd Haberkorn is an actor and winner of seven AudioFile Earphones Awards. He has created unique voices for a variety of characters for cartoons and video games. Add to this a healthy production life in front of and behind the camera as well as partaking in theater arts on stage, and he has had the pleasure of a wonderful career in the entertainment industry thus far. When he isn’t working on a production of some kind, he travels the globe talking about those productions.