My final five star read of 2024. Chris Bohjalian has once again crafted a story that drew me in from the first pages. It’s a fabulous story based on real people and events.
Berryville, Virginia has been contested ground for the length of the Civil War. Both north and south have laid claim to the territory. Mosby’s Rangers patrol the area as guerilla warriors. Libby Steadman is continuing to run her husband’s grist mill with just a freedman, his wife and her niece. Her husband was wounded and captured during the Battle of Gettysburg. In 1864, a battle rages along the Opequon Creek and one injured captain of a Vermont regiment is left behind, too weak to move after a surgery to remove his leg. When Libby finds him, she faces the ethical decision of what to do about him.
The writing is vivid and detailed. Each scene was easy to envision and I was transported to northern Virginia during the war. The characters were all so richly drawn and realistic. I loved each of the five main characters, but I had a special place in my heart for Jubilee.
While I didn’t learn a lot of new information about the war, I was thrilled to discover where the term 4F came from. And boy, did it bring a chuckle.
The story contains plenty of action, some of it extremely violent. Bohjalian shows us exactly the lengths folks will go to when their backs are against the wall. The ending really grabbed me. Make sure to read the Author’s Notes.
I’m convinced this will be a big hit when it’s published in March, 2025. It’ll be a top pick for a lot of book clubs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this story about a Confederate woman who saves the life of a Union soldier (captain) during the Civil War.

What I liked: The author writes with beautiful prose that immerses the reader in the story. He does the time period justice, and there was none of that hitting-you-over-the-head with research - it was smooth and seamless. There is plenty of violence, so much so that I had to skim some hard paragraphs. There's a minus to that, but ultimately it makes for a realistic and compelling novel.

As the plot got closer to the climax, it was gripping, and I was drawn in. There was a lot of complexity, and it wasn't clear how it would play out.

What I didn't love: Well, some of the violence. Also, the plot was very slow for most of the story. It involved a lot of near-hits, but no action that moved the plot forward. It was kind of circular until close to the end. The climax itself was strong, but the ending felt contrived.

This was 3.5 stars for me, but I'll round up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday, and Chris Bohjalian for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of the Jackal's Mistress in exchange for a fair review - where the opinions are my own.
I appreciated this book a lot. Readers are YEARNING for historical fiction that doesnt feature WWII. While this is still wartime, this is new. During the civil war and in the south where the Rebels are trying to hang on but the Yankees are ever closer, we meet a woman left behind by her husband to run the mill with minimal assistance; her former slaves now freed and working for her. She finds a Union soldier badly harmed and close to death and takes pity on him -as she would like someone to do the same for her husband if the situation arose.
I would have given this a 5 is there wasnt a slight sag in the pacing. The wheels got going quickly but then stalled ever so slightly. But then I couldnt put it down.
It was a 4.5 stars from me and is a perfect book for my historical fiction book club. I wouldnt histitate to recommend this to my patrons. Please more HF that isnt WWII - these stories are there!

100 stars for this book. I love Bohijalian's storytelling, and The Jackal's Mistress is beautifully written and really brings the reader in to the Civil War time period. I felt the depth of fear, sadness, worry, and trials of all of the characters. A southern/Confederate woman is managing her mill - she hasn't heard from her husband in quite some time and last she knew he was a prisoner in a Yankee camp. Her husband's family owned slaves, set them free, but a couple stayed behind to help work the mill. The Yankee soldier is wounded and left to die by his company. But he does not die and is rescued and taken in by the Confederates - dangerous for all of them.
The story evolves - everyone takes risks and the reader has to ask "Why". I was completely taken by this story and it rises to the top of the best book I've read this year. I will be recommending this to everyone.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

The best historical fiction is an engaging story that happens to teach you something about the time and place that it is set in. This was a very engrossing story about a woman trying to survive on her husband's farm in Virginia while he is away at war (in a Union prison no less!) during the Civil war. There is so much about her life that is fascinating and that is before we even get to the plot of the story where they discover a wounded Union soldier. I loved the story, setting and characters. I highly recommend!

I have been a fan of Chris Bohjalian for decades, and I've read most of his books. Though I've liked many of them, my favorites are definitely the historical novels. The Jackal's Mistress is a great entry into this category. Set in the late period of the Civil War, The Jackal's mistress is based on a true story and recounts a tight narrative of a union officer who is left to die after a serious injury and is found by freed slaves and the woman (and her niece) with whom they run a gristmill. The story enfolds beautifully and is carefully researched, with the central plot of "what should we do with him" and developing relationships well buttressed by just the right amount of historical detail about both the war and life during this time and place. I'm pretty sure I'll make this a pick for our bookstore's book club, and I expect it will lead to interesting discussion!

Prolific author Chris Bohjalian’s latest offering is a historical novel set during the Civil War. The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia is part of the South, but close enough to the North that it changes hands frequently. Libby Steadman operates the family’s mill while her husband is off fighting with the Confederacy. She is assisted by two elderly servants her husband freed a few years earlier. Twelve-year-old orphaned niece, Jubilee, makes up the household.

Following a battle, injured Captain Jonathan Weybridge, a professor from Middlebury, Vermont is left behind when his regiment retreats. He is missing a leg and several fingers. Upon finding him in an abandoned house, Libby decides to care for him … because if her husband were injured, she’d want a Union wife to do the same for him.

Tension comes from the fluid battlefield, the marauding vigilantes, and the risk associated with keeping an injured enemy soldier alive and hidden. Libby Steadman is in a lonely middle space. Her property is sometimes under Union control, other times under Rebel control. Her husband fights for and she feeds (via the mill) the Confederacy. Yet, her neighbors are skeptical of her loyalties because her husband freed the family’s handful of slaves. Now she is sheltering a Union officer.

Some of the most thought-provoking lines in terms of their wise innocence come from Jubilee, who nicknamed the wounded officer “Jackal.” She thinks the real slave is Libby who runs the farm and mill, only to be paid, if at all, with worthless Confederate money. She muses why the Union army killed so many Southerners in order to free the slaves and then won’t allow the emancipated blacks to eat at the same table or sleep in the same barracks as whites.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the conclusion of the book. I admire Bohjalian’s versatility and willingness to write in different genres. Lately, I find myself enjoying his historical fiction most. “The Jackal’s Mistress” is a great addition to “Hour of the Witch,” “The Sandcastle Girls” and “Skeletons at the Feast” (my personal favorite).

September 1864
“The war felt interminable, but eventually all things came to an end. He had taught his students how there was never permanence when man was at the center. And for the boys in his company? The boys on both sides? Their lives swayed like plumb bobs between boredom and brutality, between tediousness and terror”.

Inspired by a true story, (a real-life friendship across enemy lines), Chris Bohjalian’s historical fiction novel is set during the Civil War….one of the bloodiest wars….pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America— resulting in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins….

Chris highlights a ‘specific-unknown-story’ during this bloody war ….that had me (and will hundreds of readers), passing on sleep — because it’s non-stop action-packed — monopolizing our dire attention (head shaking - squirming belly - breath holding and intoxicating).
With literary vivid prose - shivering tension - violence - moral quandaries- racism - slavery - and highly colored characters- this ‘story’ (with moments of unbelievable & unbearable details), is so captivating — so gripping - so fascinating- and flawlessly executed….that it actually surprised me to love a war story — this much.
*Absolutely* this one of Chris Bohjalian’s best books he’s written.
I don’t say that lightly > I’ve read thirty of his books….[most 5 stars]….only a couple I rated less than]….

It’s not only the history — characters and storytelling that stands out - (the writing definitely does) —but the humanitarian choices that were presented occupied my thoughts (examining dangerous risky political decisions, emotional components, love, fear, concerns with hierarchy ranking, and personal loyalty)…
with the need to act quickly…. FAST ON YOUR FEET….
all these issues had me pondering ….”what might I have done if I was faced with the situation that Libby Steadman was?”.
Libby was the wife of Peter, a missing Confederate soldier.
She discovers a wounded Yankee officer, Jonathan Weybridge, and must decide what to do.

Lots of suspense, a little romance, wonderful,supporting characters along side the main characters….
and if you’re like me ….
….by the time you finish this novel and the authors notes….the name *Libby Steadman*, from Berryville, Virginia ….a strong courageous thick-skinned woman will be a name - a character that just might remain with you forever in the same way (different of course but deeply meaningful) as Lisbeth Salander does in “The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo”.

Reads fast….and thoroughly enjoyable!!!

The wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she’s willing to risk for the life of a stranger.

As soon as I saw the synopsis of The Jackal’s Mistress, I knew I needed to read it, and it did not disappoint!

It’s 1864 in Berryville, Virginia. Libby Steadman’s husband has been away fighting in the war as a Confederate officer and she’s been left to run their family’s gristmill. When Libby hears of a Union lieutenant who’s been left for dead after a nearby battle, she sets out to aid him at great personal risk.

-Civil War
-Tough-as-nails FMC
-Family loyalty vs. moral code

I really enjoyed this story along with Bohjalian’s writing style. It was a page-turner and I found myself thinking “just one more chapter” over and over which is always a green flag for me. Growing up in Virginia and having spent time in Vermont, I loved being able to connect with the different settings. I only wished there was a little more character development and emotional exploration. I would have loved to hear more of the backstories of the main characters.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.75 stars

Though it took me a while to get into this book, I will say I loved it. I can tell how much thought and research the author put into this book, which I appreciated. I enjoyed reading about the different characters and how they got over their biases throughout the book. Overall, this was a quick enjoyable Civil War historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

In my review of Chris Bohjalian's "The Jackal's Mistress", I'd like to start by showing where this book falls categorically for me in order to give my 5 stars on Goodreads a little boost. It is my second favorite Bohjalian, (after The Double Bind), and one of my top three Civil War novels, of which I've read many. The other two being "Cold Mountain" and "Gone With the Wind".
One of my favorite things about Chris's writing is that he is the master of pace and intensity, and his latest is a prime example of this. This story of a severely injured Yankee Captain who is left behind in a vacant house in enemy territory, begins like a slow burn and progresses with a depth and ferocity that make it difficult to put down. Though it is presumed by his comrades that Captain Weybridge will not survive his injuries, he is discovered, and comes into the care of Libby, a young confederate wife, who runs a gristmill with her niece, and negro freedman and his wife. Libby makes the decision to do what she can to help this enemy Captain in the hopes that some woman up north will do the same for her husband who, last she heard was being held in a Yankee prison. They decide to enlist the help of a local doctor, who for various reasons, is easily bribed; yet may, or may not be the culprit, when it comes to the attention of local Confederate officers that someone is harboring and nursing an enemy. The story really takes off at this point, but again, at just the right pace; the author never overwhelming you until the last 40 or so pages. At that point, be prepared to not be able to take a break, have a book light ready if you're in a 'lights out' situation, have tissues nearby, and know that the ending may take your breath away for a bit! The author's notes and acknowledgements at the end are almost as good as the book, and well worth reading. I cannot wait to start recommending this come March!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the digital early reading copy!

The thing about Chris Bohjalian’s books is that each one of them is completely different. This one is set during the civil war, which is one of my favorite time periods to read about, and is loosely based on true events. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end of the story.

The Jackal’s Mistress is the story of Libby Steadman, a Southern woman who is left to run her husband’s gristmill after he is wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg and sent to a Union prison camp. Along with her freed slaves Joseph and Sally, and her niece Jubilee she continues to try to keep the home and land safe from both the Union and Confederate armies.

When she finds a wounded Union officer, she makes the moral decision to risk everything to try to save his life. Endangering not only herself, but the lives of Joseph, Sally, and Jubilee as well.

An incredible portrayal of the violence of war, and the questions of moral conscience, slavery, racism, and heartbreak.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Publishing for an early copy of The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

Set in the waning years of the American Civil War, author Chris Bohjalian has created a novel of non-stop stress and activity as a pro-abolition woman in the Shenandoah Valley and an injured Union Army captain come into contact and experience never-ending threats to their survival.

Libby Steadman, along with her husband and wife team of freed family slaves along with her young niece, try desperately to hold onto the wheat grinding mill that Libby's husband Peter owns. With Peter missing in the war, the homestead is fair game for both sides of the conflict.

Injured Union Army captain Jonathan Weybridge (Jackal) is left to die when the stark home used as a makeshift hospital is ordered to evacuate and moving Weybridge will likely result in his death. Weybridge is discovered by the Steadman former slave and plans are made to do what they can to keep the captain alive. With rumors abounding that Libby Steadman is harboring a Yankee, It will take every bit of courage and wits to outsmart those bent on seeing their own kind of justice served.

While both Steadman and Weybridge are strong fictional characters based loosely on real lives in the Civil War, several additional characters are so well written that readers will be completely absorbed in their actions as well.

Chris Bohjalian has once again written a novel so worthy of our time and attention.

This book is Civil War historical fiction based on true events. The young wife of a missing Confederate soldier hides a severely wounded Union officer in her home and nurses him back to health. Chris Bohjalian has written an intelligent and suspenseful story that kept me turning pages. The author's note at the end of the book is not to be missed.

Thank you, Doubleday books and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. My book club will have a great discussion when we read this.

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy, all opinions are my own.

I love how Chris Bohjalian took a real life event, in which a Union soldier was left behind to die after being gravely injured, only to be rescued and nursed back to life by a Confederate widow, and turned it into a fictional work of art. The further we get away from the Civil War and the horror our nation went through, the more important I think it is to tell the stories of the people who lived through those dark days. I LOVED this story of the gritty and unstoppable Libby Steadman, as she cares for the land and people her husband left behind to fight in the Civil War. Captain Weybridge, coming so close to death, pondering why he survived and the bigger fate that awaited him, made the book absolutely riveting. Irony always plays a strong part in Bohjalian's novels and I'm always so fascinated to see where he takes his characters and is as readers. Strongly recommend.

The Jackal's Mistress is a Civil War-era historical fiction that is loosely based on a true story. The characters are richly drawn, and I was immediately pulled into the story. The book is about people struggling to hold on to their humanity during very complex and difficult times and the value of the family we surround ourselves with, even if they are not related to us.

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

This is a time period that I don't often read about, so it was new for me. The Jackal's Mistress was super interesting. I was a bit slower in reading it, just because of its historical fiction angle, but I was consistently looking forward to reading it. The characters were unique, and Bohjalian's storytelling is often unmatched.

I finished this novel last night and needed some time to get my thoughts together. The author, Chris Bohjalian, has written a painful, sometimes violent, and often beautiful narrative of events that occurred in 1864 during the Civil war.

Libby Steadman lives in Berryville, Virginia, a rural andd quiet place about 25 miles from Harper's Ferry. Her husband, Peter was taken as a prisoner by the Union four years ago, less than one year after they'd been married, and it's been at least three years since she's heard from him. Libby, her teenaged niece Jubilee, and two freed slaves, Joseph and Sally all work on the gristmill on Libby's property. One day, out of the blue, Sally hears cries from a neighboring home which is thought to be vacant. When she goes in to investigate, she finds a badly injured Union officer. He is missing one leg and part of a hand. He is lying in his own filth and there appears to be no one there to care for him. She is not sure what to do so she runs to get Libby. Libby is a very strong-willed and moral woman. She knows clearly what she has to to - the same thing she'd want someone to do if this were her husband; so she takes the officer, Jonathon Weybridge, back to her home, not without great risk.

Sheltering Jonathon is very difficult on so many levels. He is near death from his injuries, they have no medical supplies, and if she were found to be sheltering a Union officer, everyone in the household would be shot or hung. Libby finds a way to secure medicine and medical care for Jonathon, taking regular and careful care of him until his strength is built up, She has taken many risks including an unfriendly search by Confederate soldiers, a near rape in her home by a drunken Confederate soldier, and an attempted assault on her way to Harper's Ferry. Nothing she does is without risk, Libby has a strong north star and often asks herself what she'd want someone to do if her husband, Peter, was found alone and near death. That gives her the will and strength to do what she knows what must be done for Jonathon.

Despite their different politics and beliefs, Libby and Jonathon are each struggling in their own way. The author Chris Bohjalian, explores their internal lives as a great war is fought nearly at their doorstep. Both are married but unsure as to whether their spouse is alive or dead. Weybridge is trying to figure out what it means to be a man with only one leg and part of one hand. Jubilee is not very welcome of Jonathon and gives him the nickname 'Jackal'. As Libby, Jubilee, Sarah, and Joseph attempt to survive, let alone thrive, they are met with obstacles at every corner.

This novel is more than a good story. It is an exploration of morality and what one might do when driven to the brink. It examines the different views on slavery and race, showing how in the north and even with freed black men in the north and south, there is still a hierarchy.

The narrative and characterizations are good but the love story falters some. It's hard for me to put myself in Libby's shoes, to have not seen my husband for four years. However, the depth of her love appears to not truly be examined, We share a lot with Jonathon and the love he feels for his wife and family, along with his burgeoning inner conflict as his feelings for Libby grow, but, in my opinion, the author fails to explore these same issues with Libby. The novel is very well-written, a bit slow in the beginning but it really picks up momentum after the first half.

I want to give a big thank you to Doubleday Books, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this novel.

I am a huge Bohjalian fan, but I found this novel hard to read. I am aware that it’s my issue with anything dealing with war and bloodshed. The protagonists are very well developed and even a reluctant reader does get involved in the perilous situation they are involved in.

So, if you are a bit more immune to the gorier aspects of the novel, you will probably enjoy the story which is so unusual about people caught in the horrors of war.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.