The Jackal's MIstress
by Chris Bohjalian
Pub Date: Mar 11, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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, from the New York Times bestselling author of such acclaimed historical fiction as Hour of the Witch and The Sandcastle Girls.
Beautifully written and perfectly executed, this is one of Chris Bohjalian’s best novels to date. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
I have read nearly all of Bohjalian's books and this one does not disappoint. Grab it as soon as you can- the release date is March 11th!
5 stars

I seldom read American Civil War novels of the type this appears to be at first glance, but - Bohjalian. Inspired by a true story, Union Captain Captain Jonathan Weybridge is seriously wounded and left to die by bis army, Libby Steadman and her freedman mill manager rescue and save him. Libby’s husband, a Virginia/Confederate Captain was captured and is presumed dead. Well written, good storyline, good character development. The passages about enslaved people are not white-washed, not Disney-died, and not salacious, yet honestl expressed as a the reason for the war and not the “states rights” bull. However, SPOILER, the brief one-time love scene was not necessary and did not add to the story. Indeed, I think the “mistress” in the title of the book somewhat cheapens it. That was my only disappointment.

Chris Bohjalian’s latest novel is partly inspired by the true story of a Union Captain who was rescued and nursed back to health by the wife of a Confederate soldier. Libby Steadman discovers Jonathan Weybridge alone and close to death in a house after his own troops abandoned the post, believing he was dead. He is missing a leg and two fingers on one of his hands. After Lily and her former slave Joseph manage to get him back to her house, Lily begins to try and save him. She is helped by Joseph and his wife Sally, who, although freed, have stayed on because they believe they are too old to leave and start over elsewhere. Also living in the house is Libby’s niece Jubilee, who dubs Weybridge. “The Jackal”.
Although there is a growing attraction between Libby and the Captain, the book is less romance and more a depiction of life during the Civil War. The horrors of battle, the deep divide in our country, the scarcity of food and supplies, and the risks people took to protect loved ones, and sometimes, total strangers. Libby and Jonathan only come together once, close to the end of the story. Still, Bohjalian keeps the reader’s interest throughout by emphasizing the constant danger the characters are facing. A good read if you enjoy books set in this time period.

An excellent portrayal of humanity during the American Civil War. Based loosely on a true story, this was a fascinating read, with well researched details about the impact of war on everyday life, loyalties, and survival.

I really liked this book. And was glad that everything worked out in the end.

#netgalley #TheJackalsMistress

For all you loyal fans of bestselling author Chris Bohjalian, here comes another compelling historical novel! Based loosely on a true story, THE JACKAL'S MISTRESS is a suspenseful Civil War tale, with a bit of romance, that raises some interesting moral questions about war, violence, loyalty, and friendship.

In the later years of the American Civil War (1861-65), protagonist Libby Steadman is struggling to keep the family gristmill going while her husband Peter is away fighting for the Confederacy. Still in her early 20s, the only help she can rely upon comes from Joseph and Sally, two formerly enslaved people (who were freed when by her husband when he inherited the mill), and Libby's sassy 12-year-old niece. Living in Virginia near the Pennsylvania border (not far from the town of Harper's Ferry, made famous by John Brown and the 1863 slave revolt he led), Libby's family is in the middle of the action. Surrounded by frequent battles, with continual demands for grain from both armies, and only meager supplies -- theirs is a subsistence existence.

Nearby Captain Jonathan Weybridge, a professor at Middlebury College, finds himself far away in Virginia from his young family, leading soldiers of the 1st Vermont Brigade for the North. After he is grievously injured in battle, Libby makes the dangerous decision to help him, despite being on opposing sides of the war. The daily burden of providing medical care for Jonathan, the constant tension around keeping him hidden, the relationships that slowly form, and the moral questions raised make this one very powerful and emotional story.

THE JACKAL'S MISTRESS is quite a page-turner with plenty of action. Soldiers from both sides show up without notice, desperate deserters threaten from nearby hideouts, and neighbors mistrust the Steadmans, simply because they decided to free their slaves. The novel raises questions about the very definition of humanity and how war changes people, as well as exploring the loyalties of someone who considers themselves a "good" person. A truly thoughtful story!

This historical fiction novel is SO well researched! It takes place in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War. Libby is at her home, trying to keep her husband’s mill going while meeting the increasing demands of the Confederate Army for grain. She finds a seriously injured Union officer, Jonathan, and has to decide what to do with him. Turn him in? Leave him there? Take him home to try and nurse him back to health? All options will out her in some type of danger and she has to listen to her conscience because there is no one she can confide in. The dialogue in this book works well and so does the setting. Great rice of historical fiction set during a turbulent and violent time in US history.

The Jackal’s Mistress is an American Civil War novel inspired by a true event wherein a woman in the Confederate state of Virginia hid a critically wounded Union officer, nursed him back to health, and safely returned him to a Union garrison. Bohjalian uses this story as the basis of his own fictionalized account of a Union captain who, when crippled by a cannon blast, is discovered by a freed slave named Sally. Sally’s employer, Libby, the wife of an imprisoned Confederate captain, decides to conceal the Union captain and try to save his life in an act of humanity and decency that she wants to believe would be reciprocated by a Union counterpart if her husband were in a similar situation. She does this at great risk to herself, her twelve-year-old niece, and her two freedman employees, Sally and Joseph, as the constantly roving Confederate rangers are ruthless towards those who aid the Union and especially brutal to negroes, whether they are slaves or freedmen.

I’ve always admired the authors of historical fiction. The great ones such as Anthony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See), Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow), Alice Walker (The Color Purple), and Barbara Kingsolver (The Poisonwood Bible), to name a few, can craft period-accurate yet relatable characters and weave them into an authentic and historically significant setting while capturing the reader with thoroughly engrossing story-telling. I’ve especially admired any author willing to dive into the American Civil War as their work is guaranteed to be thoroughly scrutinized by the throngs of aficionados whose obsession with the Civil War borders on cult status. Although I don’t know what his standing will be among those enthusiasts after the book is published, I am happy to report that Bohjalian, in my view, brought the best of his expert storytelling skills and historical research to Jackal’s Mistress and can be compared favorably to the authors mentioned above. The result is what I consider one of his best novels. 

Why? I find that Bohjalian’s novels seem most dialed in when he is writing either historical fiction (The Sandcastle Girls) or metaphysical mysteries (The Sleepwalker, The Law of Similars). In Jackal’s Mistress, his historical fiction instincts are fully dialed in with his well-thought-out characters, balanced pacing, insightful dialogue, and detailed description of the setting and action. His multiple perspective, omniscient point of view is executed nimbly, avoiding, for the most part, the trap of jarring head-hopping that can occur when taking this approach. That being said, multiple perspectives are almost demanded by this story as the many themes that are presented—slavery, war, bigotry, racism, sexism—would be flat and meaningless if delivered exclusively from the POV of a white, male Yankee captain. And yet, this approach also presents the risk that all authors are challenged with; authentically portraying the point of view of someone who has grown up with a reality that is beyond what you could ever fully understand. Bohjalian often braves this territory in his books, but rarely a story with as much diversity as Jackal’s Mistress—slave, freed slave, woman, adolescent girl, Confederate, Union college professor. Bohjalian, to his credit, doesn’t attempt to assimilate these characters, instead, he presents them as they would present themselves in dialogue. It is more of a discussion between the different points of view than a deep analysis of each character.

And deep analysis isn’t necessary. Accurate portrayal is often best served through sparse descriptions and dialog, allowing the reader to fill in the character. Along that line, I’ve always found Bohjalian’s adolescent and teenage characters exceedingly well done. One of his best is Emily Shepard in Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands.  I’ve used the term already, but I’ll use it again: He is really “dialed-in” to the adolescent/teen brain, and his twelve-year-old character in Jackal’s Mistress, Jubilee, in many ways can be considered a central character of the book. A frequent scene-stealer, she injects the story with a critical dimension that helps define the underlying theme of the book—how the Civil War changed America. After all, kids like Jubilee were the phoenixes to arise from the conflict as the next generation of Americans. It was her attitudes (and those of her generation) towards slaves, freed slaves, northerners, southerners, men, and women, that shaped our world after the war.

In short, Bohjalian brings the best of his storytelling prowess, along with sensitive and perceptive portrayals of his diverse cast of characters, to The Jackal’s Mistress. He guides us through a harrowing but all too plausible side story occurring during one of the most disruptive yet definitive periods in the history of America. This is a compelling read that will find a welcome spot in many “best historical novels” collections.

4.7/5 stars

The Civil War is not an area that I know much about but I feel like reading this book gave me a glimpse into what both sides were experiencing. I loved how one of the characters was a professor in a Vermont college; this made it very real for me. This story is historical fiction but is based on a true life relationship that formed as a result of a some people taking in a badly injured man from the other side and nursing him back to health. Chris Bohjalian is a master at storytelling. I recommend this book. Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

One of Chris Bohjalian's greatest strengths is that he doesn't limit himself to one genre. Some of his most enjoyable books have been historical fiction and he continues that trend with his new novel, The Jackal's Mistress. It takes place in 1964 Virginia during the Civil War and as Mr. Bohjalian explains in the Author's Note, has its origins in a true story of an injured Vermont lieutenant left for dead who was nursed back to health but a Yankee woman.

The Jackal's Mistress is both an introspective and well-crafted tale. It gives the reader time to feel what the characters are feeling and understand all sides of the conflict, and especially the dilemma Libby Steadman finds herself in, wanting to save the life of Jonathan Weybridge, at the same time knowing the most likely consequences of her actions. This is definitely one of Mr. Bohjalian's best books.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for this ARC from NetGalley! It's my second Bohjalian book and he's quickly becoming a favorite. I thought he did a fantastic job with this civil war era story, bringing opposing characters together in a way that had you rooting for both sides throughout. I didn't want to put it down, it would have been 5 stars if not for the ending, which felt a bit rushed for me. Be ready to feel ALL the emotions in this book, it's one I will recommend often.

In the three years since the Civil War began, Libby Steadman has learned that she has as much to fear from her Shenandoah Valley neighbors as she does from the Union troops who are fighting there. Her husband may be in a Northern prison, but her neighbors resent her nonetheless for owning the only remaining flour mill and because her husband freed his slaves once his father died. Left on her farm are Libby, her 11-year-old niece (who reminded me of Frankie in "The Member of the Wedding") and former slaves Sally and Joseph. Libby is in danger for being a woman, and Sally and Joseph are always at risk of being taken by the Confederates even though they are free. It's Sally who notices someone in a neighboring house that was used by Union soldiers as a hospital and abandoned when they retreated. They find Captain Jonathan Weybridge of Vermont, missing a leg and part of a hand and too sick to be moved by his own army. They do move him, and Libby wants to use him as a bargaining chip for medicines, food, and information about her captive husband. She correctly knows that leaving an officer behind is a shame on the Northern army, now bivouacked at Harper's Ferry.

Chris Bohjalian is a master at research and connecting that research to believable characters in compelling situations. He found the germ of this story through a friend and created "The Jackal's Mistress" from that fragment of a story. The characters are believable and appealing. I especially liked young Jubilee who calls Weybridge jackal because this is what she thinks Yankees are. She's a full on confederate, but she matures realizing that the two people she most respects, Joseph and Sally, would be mere property if her uncle hadn't freed them. Her observations at the end of the story ask the toughest question of the struggle.

I found the relationship between Libby and Jonathan to be problematic--how much is it real attraction and how much just the pleasure of having someone new in a mix of people who has been worn by exhaustion and deprivation?

This is a well-crafted and skilled historical novel that will be enjoyed by anyone who likes thoughtful stories with complex characters. I learned a lot in "The Jackal's Mistress," which for me is one of the pleasures of quality historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for an arc by one of my favorite writers. This takes place during the Civil war in Virginia. Libby Steadman lives near the Opequon river and runs a gristmill with the help of former slaves Joshua and his wife Sally. Her young niece is also living with her and together they work hard to keep the farm running while Libby’s husband is off fighting for the south. However, the Northern soldiers can be heard with their cannons and gunshots that are too close for comfort. When a Union soldier is injured very badly Libby takes him in to help him recover. Based on a real story and actual people, you will be on the edge of your seat one minute and crying the next. I was completely awed by the writing and the frightening circumstances these people had to go through. Coming in March 2025 it’s a must read. The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian is a 5 star read. Chris-you have made my heart happy again!

Based on true events, THE JACKAL’S MISTRESS is a compelling and utterly captivating story. Bohjalian has an ability to put emotions into words, which brings this story alive. The Civil War was America’s deadliest war, and this story takes place in Virginia during these agonizing years.

When Captain Jonathan Weybridge is gravely injured during a deadly skirmish, he is left for dead by his troop. By the time Libby Steadman finds him, he is missing a leg and part of a hand. She vows to care for him even though he fights with the enemy. She is an innately kind person and will not let another person suffer. Having him in her home can bring danger to her loved ones, but she must help him heal.

Beautifully written and perfectly executed, this is one of Chris Bohjalian’s best novels to date. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this amazing book.

What I like about this author is all his books are different. This story is about love lost and found and surviving in a time of war. Characters are well developed

Fantastic piece of historical fiction. Set in the majestic beauty of the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War, Bohjalian contrasts the stunning and tranquil landscape with the brutalities of war. A Confederate soldier's wife finds a dying Union soldier near her home. The book is an unflinching glimpse into a country drowning in hatred and death and what happens to the human heart during times of war. Sometimes we understand history to read very black and white...good vs. evil, bad vs. good. But it is never that simple. How do we keep our humanity when all is lost? A novel that truly can speak to all times, including the very present. A must read! #thejackalsmistress #chrisbohjalian #netgalley #goodreads

set in Virginia during the civil war, the story is based on a real-life friendship. Chris Bohjallan never disappoints, love all of his books.. great story.

Do I typically read historical novels? Nope, especially not civil war ones, but let me say Bohjalian does not disappoint. I can say with absolute certainty, this is his best yet. I couldn't put it down. His way with words is like no other.

Set during the Civil war, this book was very
captivating and thought provoking Kept me intrigue
from the very beginning. Great read.


It should be a top pick for 2025
Thank youNet galley for the Arc !!!

A story set in Virginia - about 30 miles from Harper’s Ferry - during the Civil War in 1864. Captain Westbridge of the Vermont Brigade is badly injured during a scrimmage with the Army of the Confederacy. Left to die - after losing a leg and 2 fingers - he is found by Sally, a free woman who lives with Lily Steadman, whose husband has been captured and imprisoned by the Union Army. Lily decides to take the Captain to her home to care for him - as she hopes some Yankee woman would do for her husband - but doing so puts Lily, her young niece, and Sally and her husband Joseph in danger. If they are found out, the Confederate army won’t hesitate to hang them all. Based on a true story of an amazing friendship, this story shows both the best and the worst of humanity and what we will do to each other to protect our way of life.

The thing about Chris Bohjalian is that, even if you've read every single one of his books, he can still surprise you and can make you view humanity in a whole new light with each book he writes. He even makes you want to give humanity another chance, which is tough to do in today's day and age.
This is a civil war story - classic North meets South - with drama, love, family, fear and a whole lot of humanity. This isn't a topic I would normally read about BUT the author is a favorite of mine and he never lets me down. I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say this: if you need some hope, read this book. It'll help you get through the coming days.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.