Enemy Women

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
Historical Fiction

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.

First Line: "It was the third year of the war and by now there was hardly anybody left in the country except the women and the children"

Rating:
(4.0/5)