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.

Set in Virginia during the Civil War, this historical fiction title was inspired by a true story. Libby's husband left to fight not long after they were married and he is in a Union prison camp. She is operating a mill with 2 freed slaves and her niece. When she learns that a union officer has been left to die in a neighbor's house she takes him in, secretly hoping that someone would do the same for her husband, or she might use him to get information about her husband. The story tells of each character's back story.
A compelling read.

This is easily one of my favorites of 2025 already and I can't wait for more people to get their hands on a copy. As someone who loves Civil War era books, this absolutley nailed it for me. Hiding a Yankee in your home is beyond risky but so brave. I can't believe this was based on a true story. I loved the cast of characters. 11/10

Chris Bohjalian is a prolific and versatile writer. My favorites are his historical fiction titles and this novel is now one of those favorites . It’s an intense story depicting the Civil War with the death, violence , grief, hatred, as well as love that came with it. All of this and more is reflected through the life a young Virginia woman, the wife of a Confederate soldier gone to war, her freed slaves, her niece, and the Yankee soldier whose life she saves.

Libby Steadman is courageous and bold, surprising herself and the reader at what she is capable of to protect her loved ones and stand by her convictions, hoping that some Yankee woman would do the same for her missing husband. An edge of my seat read in so many places, a heartbreaking and moving story with complicated characters in complicated circumstances, characters to root for and remember, and hope the best for .

Don’t miss the author’s notes and acknowledgments to discover that
this was inspired by true events . It’s meticulously researched, so well written and jolting or maybe not, to see the relevance with today’s world.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This story is a little different from the standard Chris Bohjalian fare.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Late in the Civil War, Shenandoah Valley, not far from Harper’s Ferry
Characters: Libby Steadman, whose husband has gone off to fight for the Confederacy, her teenage niece, Jubilee, two emancipated slaves who help her run the family mill, and Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade.
Overview: Libby finds the severely injured Union officer and cannot leave him to die, thinking she would want a Northerner to do the same for her husband if the situation were reversed. Facing considerable danger from neighbors, Confederate soldiers, and Mosby’s Rangers, she hides him in the mill and attempts to find medicines and help to save his life.
Recommendation: I rate this book 3 stars
Extras: This book takes a while to get into and the plot is straightforward, not getting lost in side events or background stories. The interplay between Captain Weybridge and Jubilee is particularly well done and highlights correct moral choices versus the insanity of war.
Thanx to NetGalley and Doubleday for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

Set during the Civil War, a confederate wife aids a Union soldier in the hope that her imprisoned husband can be sent home. The historical information contained in this book shows that the author did his research. A solid read.

As a long time reader of Chris Bohjalian, I always look forward to his next novel. While most of his books take place in Vermont and New England, this one takes place in the South during the Civil War. Upon reading the afterward of the book, which I strongly encourage readers to do, it turns out this story is loosely based on the real experience of a Vermont soldier that was injured left for dead by his company, only to be found and nursed to health by a Virginian woman.

If you are a Civil War buff, you will not learn anything historically new about the war. However, what the author does well is reimagine what it would have been like for the characters who lived during that time. A resourceful woman, possibly widowed, with a niece to raise and mill to run, helped by an elderly black couple who had been freed by her husband (which didn't go down well with the neighbors), but still are seen as slaves, all of whom are trying to keep a Yankee soldier alive, but hidden. She also had to deal with rougue southern marauders roaming the countryside who loved nothing better than pillaging and burning property- of they're own people- after they had stripped it of anything of value. It is a testament to survival above all.

I enjoyed this book. Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

Civil War Love and Adventure Story

It's 1864 in Virginia, and Libby Steadman is working tirelessly to run the mill her husband left behind when he joined the rebel army. She is helped by her two freed slaves, Joseph and Martha, as well as her young niece, Jubilee. Together, they work day in and day out, just barely managing to stay afloat as the war rages around them, bringing hardships and uncertainty. The mill is their lifeline, but it is no easy task for Libby and her makeshift family to keep it running smoothly, especially under the watchful eye of both the Confederate supporters and the harsh reality of dwindling resources.

One day, everything changes when Libby stumbles upon a severely injured Union captain hidden away in an abandoned home nearby. Against her better judgment, Libby decides to bring the man, Captain William Clark, to her farmhouse and tries to nurse him back to health. The decision is fraught with danger—having a Union soldier in her care could be seen as treason by the Confederate forces, not to mention that it could expose her and her companions to grave danger. But something about Captain Clark—his vulnerability, his quiet determination, or perhaps her own sense of compassion—compels her to take the risk.

Virginia is on the cusp of battle, with the Union and Confederate armies constantly on the move. Virginia is not a safe place for anyone, least of all for a woman who has freed her slaves. Libby's act of freeing Joseph and Martha has painted a target on her back, putting her at odds with neighbors who still believe in the Confederacy. She faces threats from both Confederate soldiers and suspicious locals, and as the warfront inches closer, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep her secret and her home safe. Can Libby manage to keep herself, her niece, her freed companions, and the captain alive as the tides of war threaten to swallow them whole? And what will she do when her heart pulls her in a direction that could cost her everything?

This is not my usual type of story, but I would read a cereal box if Chris Bohjalian wrote it! His literary magic swept me away to a time that I often try not to think too much about. Bohjalian does an incredible job of breathing life into his characters, creating a vivid portrait of courage, compassion, and resilience during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.

Libby Steadman is anything but a flat historical figure. She is complex, fiercely independent, and deeply human—qualities that make her journey all the more compelling. I loved every moment of it, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, character-driven stories, or simply a heartfelt tale of humanity. #doubleday #thejackalsmistress #chrisbohjalian

Thank you Doubleday Books for the cop of The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian. It took me a while for me to get completely engaged in the book, but I trusted Bojalian’s skill as a writer so I kept reading. I’m so glad I did. As the Civil War story of Libby and Captain Weybridge evolved, I fell under its spell. I loved how Libby ran the mill with help from Joseph, and ran the household with Sally’s help. Libby’s young niece, Jubilee, who dubs Captain Weybridge “The Jackal,” rounds out the main characters. I really appreciate the research it took to write this book. I learned so much about the dangers Joseph and Sally faced as freed slaves, and Libby as the wife of the man who freed them. If you’re looking for a book about dangerous times and how the household navigates them don’t miss this book. I loved it even though the start was a little rough and I didn’t love the epilogue. 4 stars

Chris Bohjalian has done it again! I love almost anything he writes, especially the historical fiction. The Jackal's Mistress, which takes place in Virginia during the Civil War, is quite possibly his best book yet.

The book tells the story of Libby Steadman, whose husband is in a Union POW camp as far as she knows. She is trying to keep her family's mill running with the help of two former - but freed - slaves and her young niece. One day they find an injured Union officer is an abandoned house and are faced with the dilemma of what to do with him. Libby decides to care for him the way she would want people to care for her husband if the situation was reversed. This decision brings with it repercussions for all of them.

Libby Steadman is a strong, capable protagonist who stands up for what she believes. The way she cared for Jonathan, the officer, as she managed her home and looked out for her household was admirable. I appreciated how she was painted as a full person with an open mind. The spunky niece, Jubilee, was a great and almost comic relief to the otherwise dark story.

The pacing was steady and relatively slow until later in the book when all hell breaks loose. I was on the edge of my seat all the way to the mostly satisfying conclusion.

I will recommend this to readers who like the author and those who like historical fiction, as this one is sure to be a big hit.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Chris Bohjalian’s latest novel, The Jackal's Mistress, has its roots in the Civil War when a Vermont Lieutenant left to die in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley was nursed back to health by a Confederate soldier’s wife. This March 11 offering has taken the seed of that fact, budding into a tense historical fiction novel.

Libby Steadman has been keeping the home fires burning after her husband Peter left to serve the Confederate cause, even though he had freed his own slaves after taking over the farm from his father. While Libby clings to the hope that Peter will return, she knows that he was captured by the Union Army at Gettysburg, his future in limbo.

When her servant Sally, a freed slave, discovers Captain Jonathan Weybridge, left for dead in a neighbor’s vacant house, Libby and her servant Joseph manage to get him to Libby’s house where she nurses his amputated leg and his missing fingers. Of course, this is treason, and if the Confederate Army learns she abetted an enemy, she could be put to death along with her servants. Her goal is to restore his health in order that she may return him to the Union in exchange for her husband.

Libby and Joseph keep the gristmill going, providing food requisitioned by the Confederate Army, visited from time to time by soldiers looking for Billy Yanks. So far, they have been able to hide Weybridge, nicknamed The Jackal by her niece Jubilee who lives with Libby since her mother is dead and her father is off fighting for the South. But what might happen if--worse, when--the Rebels catch Libby off guard, finding the rumored Union captain? Already the farm has been visited numerous times, soldiers taking food and livestock, leaving Libby with little to feed herself, her niece, and her servants.

Chris Bohjalian always spins a remarkable story, and The Jackal’s Mistress does not disappoint. The author has already seen four of his books turned into movies, and he writes plays as well as novels. He enjoyed success with his book The Flight Attendant that became a series for HBO. Bohjalian lives in Vermont with his wife, photographer Victoria Blewer.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting November 4, 2024.

I would like to thank Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

I always amazed at the scope of Chris’ writing and the diversity of topics covered. I really enjoyed this and felt like it was something I hadn’t read by this author.

Chris Bohjalian is known for captivating readers with his historical novels, and he does it again with this Civil War-era historical novel sprinkled with just the right amount of romance.

This is no tale of a woman in distress needing the rescuing of a man, nor is it the story of a savior. It is the story of a woman left in the ruins of a war-torn nation, trying to do what she feels in her heart is right. Raising questions of loyalty and doing what is right even when it’s not popular, the reader is instantly enthralled in the story of humanity that quickly unfolds, moving at a pace quick enough to keep the interest of almost any reader.

Libby Steadman is a young wife, struggling to run her family’s gristmill after her husband goes to war for the Confederate army and is believed to be a prisoner of war. She relies on the help of two freedmen (a husband and wife) and her older than her years niece, whom she is raising in the absence of the child’s father and mother. Unfortunately, they also need to tap into some others’ assistance along the way, opening themselves up to even more danger.

While it’s easy to get wrapped up in the saga that unfolds when Libby and her allies make the decision to render aid to one of the opposing army’s soldiers who was left for dead, the reader can never get too comfortable. Unexpected visitors repeatedly pop in to threaten the wellbeing of our protagonists, making for plenty of adventure along the way.

What I enjoyed most was the story’s ending, which wasn’t tied up with a neat little bow, like we all too often see. Straying from the formulaic ending that is typical of many novels, the reader will find themself surprised yet satisfied. Without giving any spoilers, all I can say is this is a must read novel.

The Jackal’s Mistress presents an aspect of Civil War history that is little known, about a woman who encounters a wounded soldier and nurses him back to health—despite the fact that he is fighting for the enemy. I enjoyed the author’s note, in which Bohjalian explains how he came to know the true story on which this novel is based; I always love seeing how an author can take a story and embellish it. The main characters of this book are Libby, a Virginia woman whose husband went to war for the Confederacy and is taken captive, and a Union solider from Vermont, wounded at a battle near her home and left for dead. Libby and her household risk their lives to save the enemy soldier, whom they nickname the Jackal. Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors, and once again he has created a compelling tale of friendship, dramatic but believable, and one which encourages you to think the best of humanity, even in desperate times. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Highly recommended!

In this Civil War love story, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, 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, Once again, Chris Bohjalian brings to life likeable, dynamic characters in a rich, atmospheric suspense filled story. I don't think the "love story" element was necessary, and one incident near the end (no spoiler here) seemed sort of unrealistic to me, but I really enjoyed this book. For fans of Paulette Jiles' Chenneville and Simon the Fiddler. 4.5 stars

Set during the Civil War, 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. Libby lives in Berryville, Virginia with her niece Jubilee, and Joseph and Sally, former slaves who were freed by Libby’s husband Peter before he enlisted in the Confederate Army and left for war. In the fall of 1864 Sally finds a wounded and dying Union soldier in an abandoned house nearby. Libby, whose life has already been upended, makes a fateful decision which will change her life forever. She brings the Union soldier home to care for him, explaining to Joseph, Sally and Jubilee that she hopes a Northern woman would do the same for her wounded husband Peter.
Jonathan Weybridge, a Union infantry captain, knew he was dying. Part of his left hand and his right leg had been amputated near the battlefield and they were badly infected. His troops had moved him to the abandoned house when they fled the area, leaving him to survive or die. He would have ended his life with what soldiers called a “mistress bullet” if they had left him a pistol. Instead, he wakes up to find himself in the home of a proud Confederate wife. Libby and her niece call Jonathan a jackal, but during his months long recovery, they grow fond of the English professor from Vermont and the stories he shares with them of the life he’s lived. A life which is very different from their own. When rumors of a Union soldier being hidden in the area bring a mob of Confederates and Mosby’s Rangers to Libby’s home, she decides to help Jonathan escape and, in that moment, she becomes a traitor to the Confederate cause.
With a haunting backdrop of the terror and destructiveness of war, Bohjalian has written a poignant story of the relationship between a woman and man who have different backgrounds yet share a yearning for a life that no longer exists and a future that can never be.
Bohjalian is a very descriptive and atmospheric writer. While reading The Jackal’s Mistress, I felt I was in war torn Virginia amidst the charred fields and barren orchards around Berryville. In one vivid scene he describes a thunderous lightning storm. In another he describes the sun as a blinding white ball set against a sky the color of bread dough and I could feel the heat and humidity both armies must have felt as they battled each other in their woolen uniforms of blue and gray.
The Jackal’s Mistress is based in part on real life people whose histories were found in archival materials in Vermont.
I would highly recommend this book to other readers. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Doubleday, for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! What a page turner! It kept me on the edge of my seat. Real people doing the right thing facing what could be monumental consequences. When people who have never read Chris Bohjalian before ask me for a recommendation, I always have a difficult time choosing just one. The Jackal’s Mistress will become my go to. It’s one of his best if not the best book he’s ever written. You’re immediately pulled into this story. The characters are real, well rounded and so very likable. The story takes us to the Civil War, where we see its effects on the people who are living through it. North and South may have been enemies but underneath all the battles were people just trying to get by and hope that they’ll be reunited with their families. I highly recommend this book. Preorder now! You will not be disappointed.

This is an exquisitely told story of violence, loyalty and hope. Libby is a southern woman near a Civil War battlefield who has to decide what to do with a mortally wounded Northern Captain. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire story.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ✨ (4.5 out of 5 stars for me)

🙏 First, thank you @doubledaybooks and @netgalley for a free copy of this book! The publication date is in March 2025.

Inspired by a true Civil War story - in The Jackal's Mistress, Libby Steadman finds herself grappling with both loyalty and survival as she nurses a wounded Union officer left to die near her Confederate-run homestead. As the brutalities of the Civil War unfold, her forbidden compassion drives them both into deeper danger, testing every ounce of her courage.

From its gripping opening scene to the emotional complexities Libby faces, this novel doesn't shy away from hard truths. The suspense had me on the edge, and I loved the clever banter between Libby's niece, Jubilee, and Weybridge, the Yankee officer.

At its core, The Jackal's Mistress explores humanity's blurred lines in wartime - how bonds can form even across battle lines and how love and loyalty are rarely simple.

This book is perfect if you crave historical fiction with high stakes, vivid tension, and unforgettable characters who fight not just to survive but to find some sliver of humanity in a harsh world.

P.S. Plus, who doesn't love a badass, strong heroine?!