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Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy

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Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
AuthorAbbott Kahler
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical fiction
Published2014
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback)
ISBN978-0-06-209290-8
OCLC878667621

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War is a historical fiction novel by American author Abbott Kahler.[1] The book was published in 2014 by HarperCollins.[2][3]

Plot

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Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy follows four women's stories throughout the American Civil War era - Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Belle Boyd, Emma Edmondson, Elizabeth Van Lew.[4][2] Rose is a D.C. socialite who used her social standing to spy for the confederacy.[2][1] Rose Belle Boyd freelanced as a spy for the confederacy as well.[2] Rose was known "La Belle Rebelle" and the "Secesh Cleopatra".[5] Emma Edmondson was brought up by a father who wished for a son instead of a daughter.[2] To escape an arranged marriage to an older neighbor, Emma fled and joined the Union Army under an alias as a man - Private Frank Thompson.[2] Elizabeth Van Lew is an unmarried women from a family of good social standing family in Virginia. Elizabeth's family had educated and freed their slaves and when the war broke out she became a spy for the Union and operated an extensive spy ring.[2]

Reception

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In August 2015, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy was listed as #2 on The New York Times Best Seller List for Espionage.[6]

In 2023, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy was listed as one of the banned books in the Frisco Independent School District.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Patrick, Bethanne (September 2, 2014). "Book Review: 'Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War' by Karen Abbott". Washingtonian. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Saidi, Janet (September 15, 2014). "'Liar Temptress Soldier Spy' finds thrills and chills in Civil War history". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Fahs, Alice (August 29, 2014). "Review: Karen Abbott's history of four Civil War women who spied or lied". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Fisher, Rich (September 23, 2014). "'Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War'". Public Radio Tulsa. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Schneider, Howard (September 12, 2014). "Book Review: 'Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy' by Karen Abbott". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  6. ^ "Espionage Books". The New York Times. August 2, 2015. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Cohick, Ryan (September 20, 2023). "Texas bans more books than any other state, according to report". lonestarlive.com. Retrieved September 28, 2024.