It’s nice to find a historical fiction novel that is so unique. First of all, the Civil War time period is not written about as much in the past few years and I also found the plot to be unique. The issue of slavery is somewhat secondary in this book although Joseph and Sally as freedmen play important roles. But the main story between a Union soldier and the wife of a Confederate soldier was such an interesting storyline, especially since it is based on real people and facts. The book offers an exciting and adventure-filled saga that keeps the reader engaged and “on the edge of the seat” and is pleasantly more about friendship between enemies than romance. With the incorporation of real events such as battles, medical care on the battlefield, treatment of so-called traitors and freed slaves and the dangers from deserters, the book was informative as well as entertaining.

This story is set in Virginia surrounded by battles of the Civil War. Libby, whose husband is a captured confederate soldier, rescues an officer of the Union Army, Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade.

This story grabbed me from the first paragraph. The descriptive words of the Shenandoah Valley, the Civil War battles, the people were so real. As someone who has visited this part of the country, I felt that I was drawn back there and watching this story unfold.

Gripping, wonderfully written, well thought out, and hard to put down, Chris Bohjalian delivered a powerful and moving book with The Jackal's Mistress.

The Jackal's Mistress is a historical fiction novel that hits it out of the park. It has everything I look for: an aspect of a historical event that I don't know about, characters inspired or based on real people, a page-turning premise.

Set in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War, Capt. Weybridge, a Union soldier, is injured and left behind by his troop. He is hidden and taken care of by Libby Steadman whose husband is fighting as a Confederate soldier, along with her niece Jubilee, and her freed slaves Sally and Joseph, while running the grist mill. What transpires is a nail-biting story that highlights the complicated situations of war, especially civil war. Then, the epilogue and author's notes summed up the entire story so well.

If you like historical fiction with characters battling their consciences between right and wrong and where you can't stop turning the pages, I highly recommend this novel.

Many thanks to #DoubledayBooks for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Jackal’s Mistress, by Chris Bohjalian, is a beautifully crafted tale of friendship, love, tolerance, and the toll of war on all. The story begins in September, 1864 near Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. The Civil War is still raging, but both armies are depleted. The citizens of the South are increasingly desperate for food, safety, and a return to their peaceful pre-war lives. When Libby Steadman, a Southern miller’s wife discovers the severely wounded Union Army Captain Weybridge near her property, she decides to care for him, thinking “you can’t just leave a man to die alone,” while hoping that a Yankee woman would feel the same kindness to her missing husband Peter, in the Rebel Army.
Their lives, for the next couple months, are fraught with worry about discovery by rogue Rebel and Union soldiers, who pillage and plunder the meager possessions of the tired Southern residents. There are graphic scenes and descriptions of injuries, personal violence, and inhumanity. The story pulsates with tension as the desperation of the people and the stakes rise.
The author brings an observationally accurate perspective to this historical timeframe. The plotting is strong and the vignettes so well described that they often read like scenes in a stage play.
As with all Bohjalian’s novels, the story is very much character driven and there is much to like, or decry, in those characters—steadfast, cynical Libby; intellectual Capt. Weybridge: loyal, freed (formerly slave) couple Sally and Joseph; saucy young teen Jubilee; nasty neighbor Covington; sympathetic Col. Duffy. They all exemplify the practical and moral dilemmas people face in dire circumstances. There is great humanity in this tale, and a sharply observant commentary on the human vs. inhuman condition of both sides of the war, and the attitudes of those times.
This novel is carefully researched and enhanced by being based on a real-life relationship between a Vermonter and a Virginian. It is also a testament to how people can rise and transcend the sadness and heartlessness of war.

Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the ARC. This is an honest review.

A wonderful civil war book, genuine to the time period. The historical fiction is most prominent, but there is also a romance between a southern woman and an injured Yankee soldier. I enjoyed both themes of romance and Civil War fighting.

This historical fiction book takes place during the Civil War in Virginia. A young woman is scraping by with the help of two former slaves and her niece. They find a wounded union captain and try to nurse him back to health. Libby‘s husband, a confederate soldier, is most likely in a union prison. Her ultimate plan is to barter the union captain for her husband. While the story started slowly, it quickly picks up the pace. It is an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay for this Advanced readers copy.

Chris Bohjalian, one of Vermont’s celebrated authors, delivers a powerful and poignant Civil War novel with The Jackal’s Mistress. Inspired by a little-known true story, it follows Libby Steadman, a Confederate woman in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, who discovers a gravely wounded Union officer, Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade. Faced with an agonizing choice, Libby risks everything to nurse her enemy back to health, hoping to exchange him for news of her missing husband.

What makes this novel unforgettable isn’t just Bohjalian’s meticulous research or his vivid portrayal of 1864 Virginia — it’s the story behind the story. In a time defined by violence and division, The Jackal’s Mistress reveals the rare moments when people rise above war’s cruelty to embrace their shared humanity. Libby’s quiet courage and Jonathan’s reluctant trust remind us that even in the harshest of circumstances, compassion can cross enemy lines.

Bohjalian masterfully balances historical authenticity with emotional depth, crafting a novel that lingers long after the final page. While the action intensifies in the novel’s final act, the true pulse of The Jackal’s Mistress is found in its quiet moments: the hidden conversations in Libby’s home, the moral tug-of-war within her heart, and the delicate dance between loyalty to one’s country and empathy for another human being.
The author’s note adds an extra layer of meaning to this already profound story. The Jackal’s Mistress is a stunning reminder that empathy and kindness can endure, even in the darkest of times. Highly recommended.

This was a riveting story taking place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia during the Civil War. Libby lives on a farm with her help who decided to stay with her during the war. The bonds among those living on the farm are strong. They are trying to survive during terrible times.

Captain Weybridge is an Union soldier who is injured during a battle near the farm. Joseph and Libby come across his injured self and decide to take him home to care for him. Libby's niece, Jubilee, calls him the Jackal. Helping him in traitorous to the Confederate army and they all take a great risk nursing him back to health.

The story is full of choices and the humanity of all their situations makes the story powerful. The characters are relatable and well developed. The author has done his research as the story feels honest and true. This is a great example of historical fiction at it's best. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

This Civil War novel covers a lot of ground. Libby Steadman is a married woman who is left alone in her Shenandoah farm to manage the gristmill and farm while her husband is fighting for the Confederacy. She has a letter from him in a POW camp. Along with her 12 year old niece, a freed slave couple also live at the farm with the husband, Joseph, helping Libby grind wheat into flour in their gristmill.
When Joseph's wife hears of a Union soldier who has been seriously wounded and left in an abandoned house, Libby and Joseph go there to take him into her home.
Libby and Joseph nurse him back to health and hide him from possible discovery while they maintain their daily business. Her niece, Jubilee, spends a fair amount of time talking to Captain Weybridge and calls him Jackal.
The story progresses with some tense moments and situations but shows the extent of human kindness, as well as the tragedy of war, and the benefit of forgiveness. The characters are well developed and the author's research is evident in the detailed description of the medicine, the daily life of Southerners, as well as the terrible effects and high price of war.
I thought that it might be based on a true story and reading the epilogue explained it. The book was well written and the historical accuracy was impressive.
I received this book from Bookbrowse and NetGalley in order to participate in a book discussion and I am leaving this review voluntarily. It is definitely a book worth reading and discussing.

3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable and compelling read. It did a great job of bringing the Civil War period to life for me, but it didn’t pull me in as much as I was hoping. Still this is a positive review for a stunning author whose books I will always read. With that said, I am almost bombarded with five-star reviews for this book, so definitely give it a try for yourself.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I always enjoy Chris Bohjalian’s books, and his new novel doesn’t disappoint. Set during the Civil War, Chris breathes life into a cast of characters based on a true story. The book is seeped in human tragedy, forgiveness, and the will to live. Thank you for another enjoyable read, Chris!
Thanks so much to Doubleday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 11, 2025.

Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors and The Jackal’s Mistress has become one of my favorite books.. The wife of a southern soldier hides a seriously wounded northern officer in a tense and often emotional story set in Virginia. Libby was only briefly married to Peter Steadman before war was declared. Peter had freed their slaves, but Joseph and Sally were older and stayed with Libby to help her run the family gristmill in his absence. When Union Captain Jonathan Weybridge is seriously wounded he was not expected to live. Left behind, Sally hears his calls for help and with Libby and Joseph’s help they transfer and hide him at the Steadman home. They have no choice but to call in the local doctor to save him. Although he is against treating Weybridge, Libby has a plan to travel to Harper’s Ferry to get much needed medical supplies and whiskey from the Union. With proof that Weybridge is still alive, she also hopes to get word of her husband, who was also wounded and sent to a Union prison. Under constant threat of discovery, Libby brings Weybridge back from the brink of death. With Joseph’s help they also devise ways for him to overcome the disabilities caused by his wounds.

In the absence of her husband, Libby has become the head of the Steadman family. Beside Sally and Joseph she has also taken in her young niece Jubilee, who dubs Weybridge the Jackal and is known to frequently speak her mind. While Bohjalian’s battle scenes show the horror of war, his characters display the human side, both the bitterness and the compassion. His story is beautifully written with strong characters. In his epilogue, Jubilee relates the fates of Weybridge and the Steadman family after the war years, bringing Bohjalian’s story to its’ conclusion. I would like to thank NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing this book.

Never the same book from Mr. Bohjalian, and always so suspenseful and informative. His characters are fully drawn, the writing is graceful and beautiful, and the research is top-notch. I loved every page, and this was a different kind of Civil War novel that made me feel like I have a front-row seat.

The Jackal’s Mistress is a beautifully written historical novel about supposed enemies making impossibly brave decisions during a time of war. It's a finely woven blend of introspection, character development, and action sequences. It works remarkably well, and brings to life a handful of people caught up in a terrible time, making choices of conscience that could doom them all at any moment. The book is fascinating, moving, and thought-provoking. It’s impossible to put down

Thank you so much for allowing me to review an early copy of this book.
What a wonderful book!
I have already shared to my personal Facebook page a recommendation for this book!
Excellent!

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bahjalian, It’s 1864, deep in the Shenandoah Valley a woman waits for her husband Peter with their two servants Joseph and Sally and her own 12 year-old niece Jubilee. Since the war began they’ve already suffered loss when Jubilee’s mother died and all Libby knows about her husband Peter as he was captured and thrown in a POW camp in Atlanta. while waiting for the war to come to their valley they also have other things to fret such as marauders and even soldiers, weather Confederate or Yankee. So when Joseph‘s wife Sally comes home it says she heard a man yelling for help they decide to wait until night to go see what’s the problem and who needs help. This is when they meet the Yankee soldier, captain Andrew who jubilee will later name Jackal. taking care of a Yankee soldier could cost Libby and her family a lot but he is a sad site down to one leg and a hand and a half and she would want a northern woman to risk it all for her husband Peter so she does the Christian thing and brings him to her house. Libby will do lots of questionable things including a trip to Harpers Ferry but it’s all done hoping to aid her husband Peter’s homecoming or at least get a bit of news about him. The kindness will cause each of them and some more than others but ultimately they did with lots of people in the Civil War and other wars he had to do they did what was in front of them and kept going until it was over. This is the most original type of romance and it’s supposed to be based on a true story and that is a story I would love to read. there’s so much to love and load about the story but it is all interesting in a book you will not want to put down. Historical fiction romance is my favorite genre and this one did not at all disappoint I loved it and highly highly recommended. I loved the epilogue and there’s so much I want to say about that lol but as not to give anything away I will not. Just know this is a great great book.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #ChrisBohjalian, #TheJackalsMistress,

The Jackal's Mistress is based on a true story. Bohjalian does historical fiction exceptionally well. I was immediately drawn into this gripping story. I couldn't put it down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy.

It's 1864 and Libby Steadman fears every day that her land will become the battleground between the Union and the Confederates. Her husband Peter was captured and held in a Union prison camp but his letters have long since stopped coming and she fears him dead. She's left running his gristmill with only her young niece and two freed slaves. When she finds Union captain Jonathan Weybridge gravely injured and left for dead she risks everything to save his life.
This story was tense and full of action, with the fear of discovery on every turn of the page. Based on true events, this is a story of courage and heroism. It's well written and the characters are well developed. I've loved every book I've read by this author and this one was no exception. I recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was assigned this book so I could moderate a book club discussion at BookBrowse.com. I consequently didn't write up an in-depth review on it.

I've read a number of Bohjalian's novels and I've always enjoyed them; this one is no exception. His research is always top=notch, and I appreciate that about his historical fiction very much. However, I felt that this novel lacked the depth I've found in his other books. It wasn't as impactful as The Sandcastle Girls, for example, nor was it as exciting as The Lioness. Beyond that, it just never felt like much of a story - or perhaps the story was just much simpler than many of the others he tackles. I'm not sorry I read it, but I'm also not going out of my way to recommend it, either.

Commentary: The Duality of War—Horror and Redemption

At its core, The Jackal’s Mistress is not simply a war story or a forbidden love story. It is about the way war distorts human relationships—turning friends into foes, reducing people to labels, and forcing individuals to commit unspeakable acts in the name of survival. But it is also a story of redemption—of how love, understanding, and shared suffering can break down those barriers.
Dehumanization and Recognition

Libby begins the novel as a woman who believes herself morally upright, but she still harbors ingrained biases. She sympathizes with Joseph and Sally but has never fully considered what freedom means for them. Likewise, she sees Union soldiers as faceless enemies—until Jonathan becomes more than just a Yankee officer. Through these relationships, she comes to understand that people cannot be reduced to categories.

This mirrors the larger reality of war: people who might have lived peacefully side by side before the conflict are now forced to view one another as threats. Yet when they interact on a personal level, the distinctions between “us” and “them” blur.
Love and Survival in a Time of War

The romance between Libby and Jonathan is not just about physical attraction; it is about two people clinging to each other in the darkness. Their love is real, but it is not the kind of love that demands destruction. In a different world, they might have had a life together. But in this world, love must sometimes bow to duty.

Likewise, the relationship between Libby, Joseph, and Sally transforms into something deeper than employer and servants. By the end of the novel, they are bound not by obligation, but by mutual respect and shared suffering.
The Complexity of Morality

No character in this novel is wholly good or wholly evil. Even those who commit acts of cruelty do so believing they are protecting their way of life. War pushes people to justify the unjustifiable, and The Jackal’s Mistress does not shy away from showing how fear and desperation drive people to act in ways they never thought possible.
A Hopeful Yet Realistic Ending

The conclusion is not a fairy tale, nor is it a tragedy. Jonathan does not win Libby’s heart, but he does not need to. The love between them exists, but so does the love Libby still holds for Peter. Similarly, Joseph and Sally do not suddenly find equality in a society that resents their freedom, but they do carve out a life of dignity. The war changes everyone, but it does not erase the connections they have built.

In the end, The Jackal’s Mistress is about the resilience of the human spirit. War may tear people apart, but love—whether romantic, familial, or simply the recognition of another’s humanity—has the power to heal.

(Note: I used ChatGPT to organize this review from my own commentary)