"Married to an older man who sees her as little more than a possession, Claire Winston feels trapped and unhappy, but she knows her personal suffering pales in comparison to the hardships of the nation, which is teetering on the precipice of civil war. And she has a secret that helps ease her despair: her family's devotion to the cause of assisting runaway slaves to freedom - a purpose she embraces, and of which her husband is unaware."

Enjoyable & informative historical novel set within the raids of General Morgan!

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Set against the backdrop of the Civil War, Mary Mackey paints a vivid picture of what life was like in America during this tumultuous time. Mrs. Henry Winston (Clair Winston) finds herself in a horrible marriage to an abusive, older man, but has no way out. She ends up falling for her husband's nephew, southerner John Taylor (who is much closer to her age than her husband), and despite the dangers, they end up starting a relationship together. Henry and the Civil War end up tearing them apart, but Claire is determined to be with her lover. Even though she is a Yankee and a strong supporter of abolition and the Union, she finds herself disguised as a Confederate solider and is determined to be with John no matter what. Even though John is against slavery, he is fighting for the south under General Morgan, to whom he feels he owes his life because Morgan helped save him years earlier. Will Claire be reunited with John or will Henry and the war keep them apart forever?

I really enjoyed this novel. Mary Mackey wrote it in such a way that it's difficult to put down. As she states in the intro, the most unbelievable events from this novel are ones that are based on fact. It feels very well researched and you can really get a feel for what the Civil War era was like through reading this. I was quite captivated by this story.

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I enjoyed this historical fiction account of the Civil War. A proper married, Boston woman (who happens to be a strong abolitionist) falls in love with a Rebel soldier. At first glance this seems improbable, but it tells the story of how the country was torn apart and even families and loved ones were impacted. Mrs. Winston does some things that are considered very un-ladylike for this time period which explains why she is notorious.

This were many historical Civil War battle details, which is not something I usually enjoy; however this book really brought the tragedy of this war to life.

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