The Spy in Crinoline: Antonia Ford's Civil War

by Karla Vernon

This intriguing novel offers a unique perspective on the Civil War. Antonia Ford, who lives at the important Civil War crossroads of Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia, finds it impossible to be a neutral bystander during the conflict. Initially, as the oldest child in a prosperous secessionist family, Antonia passes important information on troop movements to her friends in the Confederate army. When she is thrown in prison for spying, circumstances place her together with a handsome man she admires, Major Joseph Willard, a Union officer. Her prison ordeal and being sent South draw them closer to each other, and Willard, who has fallen in love with her, becomes her rescuer.

226 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Margaret Skrivseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel provides a fictional account of Antonia Ford Willard, a woman Confederate spy. Antonia Ford, her family, and many other characters in the book were actual people. Written by Karla Vernon, it gives a great deal of historical information about life for local people in the northern Virginia area.

The book is obviously well-researched. For me, it answered questions that I've wondered about. Questions such as how did people living in this area survive during the war? Some of these places changed sides dozens, if not hundreds of times. How did the residents earn a living, attend school, attend church, socialize and just generally survive? Vernon addresses these questions through the story of Antonia Ford and her family who lived in Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia.

Both Antonia and her father, E.R., provided information about Union troop members to the Confederacy. Both were arrested and imprisoned twice for their activities.

Underlying the family's clandestine activities is the story of Antonia's growing love with Union Major Joseph Willard. The two met when Willard arrived to commandeer the Ford home as a temporary Union headquarters early in the war. Throughout the war, the relationship between Antonia and Willard deepens, they overcome many obstacles and ultimately marry.

I gave this book three stars because I felt the writing style was bland and didn't do justice to the subject matter. Antonia Ford Willard's short life was full of such excitement and passion. In most places, this book read as dispassionately as a newspaper account of the events. I would have like to see more suspense and genuine emotion in a historical fiction novel.

[Ginny Koenig]

Pure torture. No substance, mundane. I know research went into this novel regarding the civil war but it was not emphasized, the love story between two people was. I find reading other people's love letters B-O-R-I-N-G!!!