A Single Spark

Overall, a good character-driven novel about the Northern “home-front” and the worry over saboteurs in the arsenal. No wonder; the work with live explosives meant that the tiniest mistake would cost dozens of lives. Added to that was the worry that saboteurs would sneak in and manage to damage the munitions at the point of their origin.

I really liked Clara and Joseph and found it easy to care about them, both individually and as a couple.

Bea and Jeremiah...way to go on complex character motivations and desires. We know all along that they aren't trustworthy, but Clara is still kind to them no matter what; all the way up to their big moment and sudden twist of destiny, they remain complex instead of being faceless clowns of badness. I loved the reality of this portrayal.

While the story does slant heavily to the Union, I really appreciated that Southerners weren't blanket-vilified but were shown with some other depths. The only historical thing that raised my ruffle was the unnecessary slur that Mosby might have had a connection to sabotage, which the author herself refutes in the afterword; why name a name if it's obviously inaccurate? There are lots of names to use without slapping at a name of a gentleman respected by both sides.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review as not required.