A novel based on the life of Anna Ella Carroll. She was an American politician, pamphleteer and lobbyist. She played a significant role as adviser to the Lincoln cabinet during the American Civil War.
This book held so much promise but ultimately fell short of my expectations. I really enjoy historical fiction, especially that which emphasizes the unknown exploits of strong and influential women. My interest began to wane, however, about halfway through as the story seemed to drudge on slower than civil war itself. Considering the literary liberties taken liberally throughout this novel, the ending was surprisingly unimaginative. All in all, I will recommend this book if for nothing other than the piece of otherwise ignored history that it entails.
It opened up a great story unknown to me in the drama of the civil war. But not the best quality. It was tedious to get through. I am not a fan of historical novels in general, because I just want the facts and this one really romanticized characters too much. Still I credit it with making me more familiar with the events of the civil war and makes me want to read some history books in more detail on this event
I want to give this book a higher rating, I was really drawn into it and I am excited to learn more about Anna Ella Carroll, but there were parts of it that were just tedious and the romantic subplot got pretty melodramatic in parts. All told, however, I think it was a really good book, though. Definitely a neat find, though!