Enemy Women
Book description
"A gritty, memorable book ... it is a delight from start to finish, without a single misstep." Tracy Chevalier
Missouri, 1865. Adair Colley and her family have managed to hide from the bloody Armageddon of the American Civil War, but finally even their remote mountain farm cannot escape the plundering…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Enemy Women as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Set during the Civil War, this novel of Adair Colley, a young Confederate woman in a Union prison who falls in love with her jailer, proves that love can thrive even in the midst of horrific suffering.
The book also has one of literature’s most compelling portraits of a horse, who is just as much of a character here as the humans.
From Gioia's list on the complicated choices facing women in war.
This story takes place during the Civil War, a complex time, which makes this a complex story. It’s a beautifully written novel, and Jiles’ experience as a poet serves her well. I love nothing more than beautiful sentences, and add to that a likeable main character such as Adair Colley, and those two combinations equal win/win. While Adair is reminiscent of Scarlett O’Hara, her background is quite the opposite. What made the story also stand out for me was each chapter began with actual correspondences, diary entries, and accounts taken during this timeframe. It enhanced my reading in that I…
From Donna's list on if you love Southern fiction.
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