On a recent trip, I listened to the audiobook of Chris Bohjalian’s civil war novel The Jackal’s Mistress. Based on a real-life story, it presents an interesting dilemma... How much would you risk to help a wounded enemy?
The story takes place in Virginia in September of 1864. Libby Steadman hasn’t heard from her Confederate soldier husband in months but continues to hold our hope while she runs their gristmill business with the help of her young niece, Joseph, a freed slave, and Sally, his wife.
The first chapter depicts a violent scene where a Confederate deserter, as he attempts to rape Libby, is killed with a shovel by Joseph. The story then cuts to a Union soldier camp, introducing Captain Jonathan Weybridge. He is gravely wounded in a battle near Libby’s home, resulting in a broken bone in one hand and an amputated leg.
When it’s time for the unit to move on, they leave him in an abandoned home. As he nears death, Sally hears him calling for help, and Libby and Joseph decide to do their best to restore him to health. If the Confederates discover Weybridge in her home, Libby will go to prison, and Joseph will hang.
But Libby, tired of the war and hoping that a Union woman might help her Confederate husband, makes the decision to risk everything for a wounded enemy. It means traveling across enemy lines to get needed medical supplies and killing several more soldiers before they kill her.
As I said at the opening, this book is based on a true story. If you’re interested in reading a book about a strong southern woman in the midst of a terrible war, then you must read The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian.
