Received from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

The book is told in the voice of Constance "Gallant Ash" Thompson who goes to fight in the Civil War dressed as a man, leaving her husband back on their farm. It's not a history of the War per se, with Ash taking part in few large set pieces. However it's a very personal war, where you hear of the skirmishes that Ash does take part in: The killings (Ash does plenty herself and partway through it has become second nature and almost irrelevant to her), the kidnappings, the deaths, the continuous marching and near-starvation (so the troop often have to rely on Ash's sniper ability to kill squirrels). Meanwhile Ash tells her story of the husband she left behind, writing letters, whilst occasionally having conversations in her head with her long dead mother.

Finally Ash gets to go home to her husband and her farm, and finding everything - including herself - has changed, and not all for the better. The language used is simple and uncomplicated, as befitting a farmer's wife who has spent more time with the land than on any schooling. There's little dialogue for much of the book, with information most commonly imparted as Ash looks back on the day. It's not for the faint of heart, yes war is ugly, and little is hidden in this book.

Laird Hunt manages to pull off a book about a little known part of war, where apparently ~400 women disguised themselves s men to take part in the battles. Constance is in no way a Scarlett O'Hara - the latter using all her traits as a woman to get what she wants, where as Constance decides to be a man to get what she thinks she wants.

De momento no le pondré nota porque no sé cómo sentirme.

Tiene una fuerza visual impresionante, una narración muy cruda de la guerra, pero a la misma vez parece que haya un cristal entre la narración de la protagonista y la realidad.
Además, Constance podría considerarse una narradora no fiable, como dicen otros, especialmente en el final y en su confusión al matar a Bartholomew. Desgraciadamente, el texto restante no aclara nada.

Supongo que esperaré a la película para la relectura.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I really liked the premise --the story of a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight for the Union army during America's Civil War. I liked the main character's (Constance/Ash) strength, self-reliance and willingness to take what came in the life she chose to live. What was lacking for me was a better sense of her motivation. And I wasn't fond of the writing style.

Once Constance is on her way home, I started to relate to her better and started to like some of the emotional complications raised in the book. I started to wonder why I was enjoying the book more. Should I start over? Was the writing getting better? Or was I just not in the right mood when I started the book? So I like it much more the day after than while I was reading it. ( )

Full review at http://itsallaboutthebook.org ( )

Her real name is Constance but she calls herself Ash Thompson and she is masquerading as a male as she leaves her husband Bartholomew and their home to be a Union soldier in the Civil War. The book follows Ash as she reverses roles with her husband and joins an army unit and fights in real battles. Then she is wounded and is accused of stealing rations from other soldiers. Following these incidents, Ash’s life as a soldier becomes depressing and dismal. She makes it her goal to leave the war and start for home. However, her odyssey takes on a dreamlike quality as she makes her way back to her Bartholomew and to her home.

The writing style allows the reader to become engulfed in the time period. And the story is not just one of a woman going to war. It is a story full of secrets and unknowns. Sometimes it even becomes difficult in the story to distinguish truth and reality from mental anguish. It is a study of character and stamina. And the book is one that keeps you thinking well after you have finished reading the last page.

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