∎ Download Free Enemy Women Paulette Jiles 9780061337635 Books

Enemy Women Paulette Jiles 9780061337635 Books

Download As PDF : Enemy Women Paulette Jiles 9780061337635 Books

Enemy Women Paulette Jiles 9780061337635 Books

When the Civil War comes up, most of us immediately think of major battles, e.g. Gettysburg, Antietam, fought along the Virginia-Pennsylvania corridor. "Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles takes place instead in Missouri, one of the 15 slave states, and its story focuses heavily on the injustices and violence suffered by local citizenry. People lost their possessions, their livelihood, basic freedoms, , their loved ones, and sometimes their own lives. Martial law was declared and roving bands of militia populated by untrained thugs, thieves and drunks acted as instant judge, jury and executioner.

Our heroine, 18 year old Adair Colley, witnesses her father beaten and arrested, her home ransacked and set afire, and her horses stolen during one such raid. Adair sets out, along with two of her siblings, to plead to the Union Army for her father's release but is denounced by a strangers on the trail and is herself arrested and jailed. While imprisoned, she is interrogated a number of times by one of the Union officers. A bond forms, but before long, the officer is reassigned, and he pledges to find her once the war is over.

The book is somewhat reminiscent of Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" in that there are many interesting tales of life on the road while returning home. But frankly, I much preferred Frazier's vignettes - each of which could have stood as an entrancing short story.
Like Jiles "The News of the World", this is very well written but I felt only satisfied by its end. I wanted "News" to go on and on, and I was disappointed that the journey in that story had finally ended. I would rate "News" 6 stars, one more than whatever the max is; "Enemy Women" is very good and very informative and I rate that 4 stars. I disliked Jiles' "Sitting in a Club Car...." very much but I will read her "The Color of Lightning" very soon.


Tags : Enemy Women [Paulette Jiles] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong>From the Author of the National Book Award Finalist <em>News of the World</em></strong> <strong>Good Morning America Book Club Pick</strong> For the Colleys of southeastern Missouri,Paulette Jiles,Enemy Women,Harper Perennial,0061337633,Historical,Love stories,Missouri - History - Civil War, 1861-1865,Missouri;History;Civil War, 1861-1865;Fiction.,Missouri;History;Fiction.,United States;History;1861-1865, Civil War;Fiction.,Young women,1861-1865, Civil War,Civil War, 1861-1865,ENGLISH CANADIAN NOVEL AND SHORT STORY,FICTION General,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction : Historical - General,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,Historical fiction,History,Missouri,United States

Enemy Women Paulette Jiles 9780061337635 Books Reviews

This was SUCH a good read! The story was well plotted and written and the characters well drawn. Each chapter began with historical quotes collected by, well, historians 🙂 from people who were eye witnesses to the Civil War, or by those who shared memories handed down from their ancestors, with occasional news articles about the war as it happened. In addition to all that goodness, the author’s research was obviously extensive and meticulous. Her depiction of battle scenes put you there, hearing cannon boom, feeling the ground shake, and smelling the smoke. Her research into medical practices at the time, especially by “steam doctors,” was fascinating. Annnnnd, it was a love story!
This is a first effort for novelist Jiles. Her characters are well drawn and her descriptions richly textured and poetic (she is a poet), but the narrative skews civil war southern when, in Missouri southern partisans were at least as blood thirsty as northern ones (southern gurrillas like William Quantrell, Cole Younger, and the James brothers (Frank and Jessie) were vicious border outlaws during the war). Ms Jiles hero, Adair and her union major some day (maybe) lover are finely drawn and genuinely throw sparks. The plot is kind of chic lit, but everyone needs a good cry now and then to go with edge of your seat action. This story delivers both.
I don't generally read historical fiction - but this book. Sigh. The subject pulled me in, and the character held me. The protagonist is my favorite type of character. Resourceful, upbeat, and sassy. Can't say enough good things about this book! Going to get more of her books.
Well written and researched historical novel about the Civil War which took place in the state of Missouri. Most Civil War history that I have read takes place in the Southern states in the East. Missouri was considered Union, but actually northern Missouri was Union and southern Missouri fought with the Confederacy.
Although slavery was allowed, very few in Missouri actually had slaves. However, like all confederate states, southern Missouri suffered greatly under the Union Militia and Reeves (CSA) who were both more interested in murder, plunder and burning down homes. If you like Civil War history you will enjoy this book.
I had to put this book down in disbelief over and over, and I have finally given up. The first two chapters seemed promising, but from there it quickly deteriorated. The author abandoned her nice prose and launched into a plot driven by one completely implausible coincidence after another. It is contrived and predictable. The biggest jarring moment was the "love" scene when a 31 year old man undresses a hardly conscious, weak, very ill 18 year old and touches her without warning or her consent. There is no indication in the text that she wanted this and no indication of a positive reaction from her. Was this romantic? Certainly not. Erotic? Only if you are a molester. I got tired of trying to "suspend my disbelief ." Ugh. Not good for thinking adults and not even good for young adults.
I recently read "News of the World" by Paulette Jiles and loved it. It was one of those books I didn't want to end so thought I'd give Enemy Women a try. Jile's genre is the American mid-west (Missouri) to Texas during and just after the Civil War. She paints a startling portrait of life of those not doing the fighting. Basically the women and old men. This is a disturbing book of how the 'enemy' was treated in their own homes. And who was the enemy in Missouri during the Civil War? Jiles makes it clear that every side had venality in plenty. The book was just more graphically violent than I was expecting which is probably why I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as News of the World and thus the 3 stars.
When the Civil War comes up, most of us immediately think of major battles, e.g. Gettysburg, Antietam, fought along the Virginia-Pennsylvania corridor. "Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles takes place instead in Missouri, one of the 15 slave states, and its story focuses heavily on the injustices and violence suffered by local citizenry. People lost their possessions, their livelihood, basic freedoms, , their loved ones, and sometimes their own lives. Martial law was declared and roving bands of militia populated by untrained thugs, thieves and drunks acted as instant judge, jury and executioner.

Our heroine, 18 year old Adair Colley, witnesses her father beaten and arrested, her home ransacked and set afire, and her horses stolen during one such raid. Adair sets out, along with two of her siblings, to plead to the Union Army for her father's release but is denounced by a strangers on the trail and is herself arrested and jailed. While imprisoned, she is interrogated a number of times by one of the Union officers. A bond forms, but before long, the officer is reassigned, and he pledges to find her once the war is over.

The book is somewhat reminiscent of Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" in that there are many interesting tales of life on the road while returning home. But frankly, I much preferred Frazier's vignettes - each of which could have stood as an entrancing short story.
Like Jiles "The News of the World", this is very well written but I felt only satisfied by its end. I wanted "News" to go on and on, and I was disappointed that the journey in that story had finally ended. I would rate "News" 6 stars, one more than whatever the max is; "Enemy Women" is very good and very informative and I rate that 4 stars. I disliked Jiles' "Sitting in a Club Car...." very much but I will read her "The Color of Lightning" very soon.