A true delight!
I LOVED this book! Set in the Civil War, it portrays three main characters - a Chinese immigrant Union soldier, his daughter who is an army nurse in search of her missing father, and a Confederate officer who falls in love with his nurse. Beautifully written, it describes all the horrific aspects of war as well as the complications of love and human emotion. I highly recommend this book to all. It is an absolute pleasure!
Rated of 5
by Tracy B. (New Castle, DE)
The Spy Lover
I felt as though I was right there in the U.S. Civil war it was very descriptive, terrifying, lonely, elating & compelling. This made it necessary to put the book down now and then. Kiana's development of the 3 main characters was to head each chapter with their name, time & place a vivid past or present view of their life. I have found myself reading other books about the U.S. Civil War in each one there is a new piece of information, here it was the poppy fields and addiction. Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful author.
Rated of 5
by Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL)
Extremely graphic
You will need a strong stomach to finish this one. Excellent, realistic war between the states novel. Removes any idea of the romance of armed conflict. Very interesting and human characters and story line. However, the violence is so strong that I've had to take the reading a little at a time and NOT before bed or with meals.
Rated of 5
by Catharine L. (Petoskey,
not for the faint-hearted
I learned alot from this book. Didn't know that Chinese immigrant men were kidnapped to serve in the Confederate army or southern women grew poppies for opium. I enjoyed the story line told from the father's view, Johnny Tom, the daughter's, Era, and the Confederate soldier, Warren. The writing is beautiful. The graphic descriptions of war, abuse toward nonwhites and women might bother some readers. The only reason I didn't rate the book a 5, I thought the ending dragged on. It is a book I will reread.
Rated of 5
by Catharine L. (Petoskey,
not for the faint-hearted
I learned a lot from this book, I didn't know that Chinese immigrant men were kidnapped to serve in the Confederate Army or southern women grew poppies for opium. I enjoyed the story told from the father's view, Johnny Tom, the daughter's, Era, and the Confederate soldier, Warren. The writing is beautiful. The graphic descriptions of war, abuse toward nonwhites, and women might bother some readers. The only reason I didn't rate the book a 5, I thought the ending dragged on. It is a book I will reread.
Rated of 5
by Mary Lou C. (Shenandoah Junction, WV)
A personal side of war
I have read volumes on the Civil War and this novel is by far, one of the most graphic. If you tend to have a queazy stomach, you might want to skip this one. It paints a vivid picture of the atrocities of war and the personal tragedies and abuses suffered by three very interesting main characters. While the characters bring to life the abuses of women and non-whites during this period, the inhumanity of war is much broader. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is well worth reading. The author has based much of the story on her own family history.
Rated of 5
by Kathy S. (Danbury, CT)
The Spy Lover
The Spy Lover is a captivating story set during the Civil War. I found myself engaged in the characters and curious to see how they all fared by the end of the book. Kiana Davenport writes beautifully, and her book is detailed without being tedious, however the last 60 pages dragged and the ending seemed rushed. A solid book with several themes suitable for book club discussions.
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of 5
by Mary O. (Boston, MA)
of 5
by Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL)
