Secrets of Mary Bowser LP, The - Softcover

Leveen, Lois

Softcover

ISBN 10: 006210702X ISBN 13: 9780062107022

Publisher: WmMorrow, 2012

Synopsis

'I spy with my little eye, where the bird goes when he doesn't fly,' Mama said one mid-day, her words floating on the Richmond heat as we carried empty cookpots through the yard to the kitchen. Mama, your little girl is all grown up, and still playing our best game. I am a spy ...Mary Bowser was born a slave. She was freed and educated. Then she willingly went back into slavery ...As the American Civil War looms, Mary gives up her independence and returns to her home state. There she poses as an illiterate slave in the Confederate White House and spies on President Jefferson Davis. But as the death and destruction of war take their toll, Mary discovers that everything comes at a cost--even freedom. Based on a true story, The Secrets of Mary Bowser is an extraordinary and inspiring tale of injustice and courage, friendship and conflict--and of one woman willing to sacrifice her own liberty to change the course of history.

About this title

Review

"Deftly balancing history, romance and adventure, Leveen honors the life and historical importance of a brave, resourceful woman."--Kirkus Reviews

"Lois Leveen has written a captivating novel...[she] demonstrates considerable skill bringing the historical period to life. Mary's world is nuanced and complicated, but the reader is thoroughly drawn into it, never lost. The narrative voice carries with it a seamless authority, rare in novels of this type."--Oregonian

"Deftly integrating historical research into this gripping tale of adventure, love, and national conflict, Leveen brings Mary to life and evenhandedly reveals the humanity on both sides of America's deadliest war."--Publishers Weekly

"Author Lois Leveen's meticulously researched historical fiction is best consumed with sweet tea and a porch swing."--DailyCandy.com

"This novel will sweep you into the world of Mary Bowser without making you feel as if you're sitting in school instead of on the beach."--Statesman Journal (Oregon)

"Masterfully written, The Secrets of Mary Bowser shines a new light onto our country's darkest history. Balancing fire and grace, the story of Mary Bowser is an ethical journey we won't soon forget, one that takes us from hatred to courage to love."--Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places

"The Secrets of Mary Bowser is a good old-fashioned historical novel packed with drama, intrigue, love, loss, and most of all, the resilience of a remarkable heroine who forges her own destiny from the first page. What a treat!"---Kelly O'Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

"Told with clarity, confidence, and courage, The Secrets of Mary Bowser illuminates an untold and important story about slavery, the Civil War, and the role of women in achieving emancipation. A riveting and powerful book."--Naseem Rakha, internationally bestselling author of The Crying Tree

"The Secrets of Mary Bowser is not only fascinating reading, but also historical fiction of the highest caliber."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Book Description

A stunning reading-group novel based on the true story of freed slave Mary Bowser.

About this edition

• Publisher: WmMorrow
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 006210702X
• ISBN 13: 9780062107022
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 670