Would you risk the lives of yourself and people you love to save an enemy soldier? Bohjalian retells an old Civil War tale from a Vermont war record.
Vivid descriptions of characters and places lead you through this story of risk and compassion. Travels into enemy territory to get needed supplies increase the danger of pursuing what is morally right in Libby's opinion. A good book for book clubs to explore war, danger, morals, values. Another excellent Bohjalian read.

A great historical fiction, as I can tell it was very heavily researched. I didn't love the actual love story so much, but I am not a huge romance fan. The atmosphere and writing were definitely there. I loved the internal conflict and the moral dilemmas.

Libby Steadman has been left to run her husband's mill in Virginia after he enlists to fight for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Before Peter left to fight, he freed the family slaves, making him unpopular in their rural home. Two of the former slaves, Sally and Joseph, stayed to help Libby run the mill and care for her young niece, whose mother is dead and whose father is also fighting in the war.

Libby, Sally, Joseph and Jubilee have survived the nearly four years of war. They have lost livestock and other comforts but the mill has kept them alive and they are rich in eggs and milk. The fighting has been on either side of them but they were never impacted...until a Northern captain is wounded and left for dead at a neighbor's house. Libby decides that they need to care for this man since she hopes someone is doing the same for her husband, who is a POW. Jubilee names the Captain the Jackal and he provides company and comfort to more than Libby.

It is a gritty story, as the time was gritty, and Libby uses her wits and strength to survive. There are no perfectly happy endings but life goes on. I enjoyed the characters of this novel and while I predicted that the Captain and Libby would be romantically involved, I think the ending was realistic.

Loosely based on a true story of a Virgina woman who saves the life of a Union soldier, Bohjalian's Civil War tale highlights the good and evil of humanity and the violence on and off the battlefield. Told from multiple perspectives, including that of the feisty neice of the title character, the novel explores moral questions of war, slavery, loyalty, and friendship across enemy lines. Fans of Bohjalian will not be disappointed. 3.5 stars.

I loved this historical fiction book which takes place during the Civil War era. The author is so good at making us love the characters we are supposed to love and despising the bad guys . Alongside the storyline of war and what happens to those involved in it, there was a subtle love story. I just really enjoyed reading this.

While the concept of this novel is nothing new-love story between woman hiding enemy soldier while husband away at war, Bohjalian keeps the plot interesting and fresh. I particularly loved the freed slaves characters who sacrifice all to protect their former mistress. Think this will be very popular with book clubs who enjoy historical fiction.

Wow! Just wow! What a story that is inspired by true events during the Civil War. I learned a great deal about this war while reading this beautifully written story. So much history and great characters make this book amazing. If you enjoy historical fiction books then this is the definitely the book for you. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I thought this book was a great period piece. From the start, I felt that I was immersed in the time period of the Civil War. Through the eyes of Confederate and Union soldiers and people trying to get by, I felt the emotions of their struggles and uncertainty as well as their fear. Each character in the book became crucial to the telling of the story, presented from many sides, and was woven together so beautifully. Despite the horrors of war, there was also humanity, and it was a great lesson to read this in the story.

What a read! This read as a serious historical fiction title. I enjoyed the characters, with naturally, Jubilee being my favorite. It wasn't until the end I realized it was based on a semi-true story. What a tale. It is a troubling and dark time in U.S. history, but it was handled with care and consideration. I can't wait to read more by Bohjalian.

Jackyl’s Mistress
I love Chris Bohjalian and historical fiction so I knew this would be a winner. Set in the midst of the Civil War, the story casts Libby Steadman as the wife of a Confederate soldier, facing life on her own with the help of her adopted niece Jubilee and her emancipated slaves, Sally and Joseph. One day they come across a deeply wounded Yankee colonel named Jonathan Weybridge. Feeling great sympathy for the soldier, Libby takes the man in to mend in her home, a very dangerous thing for her to do. The friendship that develops between Libby, Weybridge and Jubilee makes us realize that we are never permanent allies nor enemies. Jubilee takes to calling colonel Jackyl. The family is faced with the constant fear that they will be found out to be harboring and assisting a Union soldier. A difficult time in our history and Bohjalian tells the story in a beautiful way.

This Civil War story that begins in September, 1864, is based on a true one, but with a non-historical romance woven into the real life events.

Libby Steadman, 24 is operating a gristmill in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, an area that has changed hands several times between the Rebels and the Yankees. She is helped by two former slaves, freed by her husband Peter before he left to fight with the Rebel Army. Joseph and Sally are older, but provide work assistance and companionship for Libby and her 12-year-old niece Jubilee.

Captain Jonathan Weybridge, 28, from the 11th Vermont Volunteers, was fighting in the area when he was injured, losing two fingers and a leg. He was left to die in an abandoned house near Libby’s. Sally found him there, and Libby agreed to take him back to her house and nurse him back to health if possible, reasoning that she would want some Yankee woman to do the same for her husband if he were injured.

Taking in a Yankee was not without peril for Libby and her household, and as rumors increased about a Yankee in the vicinity, they had to take action quickly if they all were to survive.

An Epilogue dated in 1937 tells readers what happened to all of them in the end, and an Author’s Note fills in the details about the real-life heroes from this story.

Discussion: Bohjalian exposes both the good and the ugly about war and the effects it has on people. On the one hand, as Weybridge thought about one of Libby’s neighbors:

“On the surface, they were civilized. And, perhaps, without war they would have remained that way. But war gave them permission to be who they really were, men who were comfortable killing all the kindness and magic and beauty in the world, men whose souls were bleak and, therefore, dangerous.”

And yet, war also brought out the good and courageous in people, such as the real Ginny Runner, the formerly enslaved woman who found the prisoner left to die, Lieutenant Henry Bedell of Westfield, Vermont, and Bettie Van Metre, the miller’s wife who insisted on trying to save Bedell. Bohjalian provides sources for those who want to pursue the true story.

Evaluation: This is a compelling page-turner, well-researched and well-written, that will please fans of historical fiction, romance, and Civil War history.

Historical fiction set in Virginia during the Civil War written by Chris Bohjalian? Count me in. This was a fast paced read with strong characters and plenty of inner conflict in addition to all of the tragedy of the war. It is an emotional read and inspired by a true story. I will happily be recommending this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When wife of missing Confederate soldier finds a seriously injured Union officer left for dead in a neighbor’s house, she must decide: Does she leave him to die alone? Or does she risk her own life and try to nurse him back to health? This novel is based on a true story.

This book is an excellent work of historical fiction based during the Civil War.

Libby’s husband is fighting in the war, and she’s left to keep their home and grist mill safe. She has also been entrusted to care for her young but feisty niece Jubilee. Libby has never stood on ceremony or behaved according to social norms, so when she sees an opportunity to save a Union Captain with the intent of using him in a prisoner swap, she acts.

Captain Weybridge was left to die by his own men. He is near death when Libby and her freedman Joseph bring him to their homestead in Berryville. Together the small group works together to heal the Jackal, as he is nicknamed by Jubilee, and they all grow closer.

Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t a book full of infidelity. There are realistic scenes of wartime but the description is kept to a minimum. If you enjoy historical fiction, give this book a try.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

What impressed me the most about this book is that it represented the Civil War era accurately with details concerning medical care and other realities of the time.

Libby's husband is held prisoner in a Yankee prison. It's been years since she has word about his location or well being. Meanwhile, Libby does her best to keep their Virginia mill running. Weybridge, of a Vermont unit, is injured and left for dead near Libby's house. Libby discovers Weybridge, and has to decide whether to aid the enemy or turn him over to the Confederates.

Even during the dark days of war, an unexpected flame can spark a friendship beyond enemy lines. The story had me wondering how it would end for Libby, Weybridge, Libby's niece, and their two former slaves.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE JACKAL’S MISTRESS by Chris Bohjalian

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley along with the publisher, Doubleday Books for the ARC to read.

This historical fiction read is inspired by a true story and set in Virginia near the end of the Civil War.

4.5 stars
We are introduced to Libby Steadman who is struggling to keep the farm and gristmill running, while her husband, Peter, is fighting for the Confederacy. She has the help of a formerly enslaved married couple, Joseph and Sally, along with her saucy and precocious niece, Jubilee. Upon finding a severely injured Union officer, Jonathon Weybridge, Libby has impossible choices to make; does she leave him to die, or try to nurse him back to health and try to negotiate a trade for her husband? How can she hide him so no one knows? The characters are memorable and brought to life by Chris Bohjalian’s writing. I was fully invested in this compelling story right from the start. Chris Bohjalian is a great storyteller and this was such an enjoyable read. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end. I always look forward to what Chris Bohjalian does next.

Chris Bohjalian has once again written a well researched and engrossing book, this time set during the Civil War and loosely based on a true story about a Vermont soldier who is nursed back to health by a Virginia woman. The characters are well developed and believable and never slip into stereotypes, staying true to their nature while also evolving as they are exposed to new situations. The setting is vivid and engrossing, particularly in the depictions of the battle scenes which felt truly realistic and horrific. There are enough twists along the way to keep the reader engaged and the ending is inevitable, as Bohjalian resists the urge to sugar coat it into a modern day romance. Highly recommended.

I will read anything written by Bohjalian! I don’t usually enjoy books about war, but I liked this story about the bravery of one woman trying to keep her family alive and the unexpected courage she finds with the help of a very unexpected visitor.

Skirmishes and battles plague Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley during America’s Civil War, with the same territory changing hands numerous times. Libby Steadman’s husband, Peter, is last known to be in a northern POW camp, now presumed dead. Libby, along with Joseph and Sally, their Black servants, and her twelve-year-old niece Jubilee, are left to run the family’s grist mill on the Opequon River, which provides flour for the Confederate Army. When Libby discovers a Union officer near death, his leg and part of a hand missing, and abandoned by his unit to his fate, she is determined to save his life. This is what she would want a Northern woman to do for her beloved Peter. This act of treason creates a new level of danger for everyone in the household. Libby is resourceful in keeping Captain Jonathan Weybridge hidden. Even trickier is getting the medical supplies she needs to care for him without drawing unwanted attention.

Vulnerable to rape and violence by rogue Confederates and the suspicious Mosby’s Rangers patrolling the area, Libby’s life is surrounded by danger, death, and deprivation. This story is propulsive and tense with each plot turn as Libby must do things she never dreamed herself capable of to protect Captain Weybridge, herself, and the others under her care. Jubilee is feisty and sassy, a favorite character adding a child’s perspective. She names the Union officer “Jackal,” and her sarcastic interactions with him gradually turn to reluctant affection. The elderly Joseph and Sally, who stayed to work for wages after Peter freed them, are fiercely loyal and protective of Libby and Jubilee. A lonely Libby spends long evenings in Weybridge’s company, and gradually love grows as they get to know each other, but Libby struggles to accept that Peter may never return. This is a flawless novel, emotional and poignant while showing humanity in all its good and evil during war.

Historical Novels Review, February 2025 (Editors' Choice)

I am so glad I read this book!. Chris Bohjalian's writing is so smooth and lyrcial. It's 1864, Virginia and the Civil War is raging. Libby Steadman is running the family gristmill with her young niece, a freedman and his wife. The flour they make is taken by the Confederate Army. An injured Union officer who has lost a leg and several fingers has been left for dead in a neighbors house and is found by Libby. What should she do? Help him or let him die of his wounds? Her own husband has been wounded and taken prisoner by the Union and she has not heard from him for a long time. She hopes that somebody will show mercy on her husband so she takes in Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade and nurses him back to health. This is a very dangerous thing to do and throughout the story we are continually reminded of the dangers of harboring a Union soldier behind Confederate lines. As he heals Libby and her people realize he is not a monster but it's the war that is the monster. As rumors of her harboring a Union officer proliferate everybody in Libby's world is in danger. Plans need to be made to get the Captain back to the Union side of the country before terrible things happen to them.
This was based on a true story and the author did meticulous research for this book. Highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for an ARC of this book.