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Bet Van Lew knew that what she was about to ask of Mary
Bowser was huge.
Once a slave owned by Bet’s family, Mary had given Bet many
things through the years; when Bet freed the Van Lew
family’s slaves, Mary kept in touch with her Quaker friend,
who had ensured that Mary got a good education. Theirs was a
strong bond, but Bet now had a problem.
She was pulling together “a network of spies” to help Union
forces in the Civil War. Bet knew that with Mary’s schooling
and smarts, Mary would be the right person to gather
intelligence inside the Confederate White House, where
President Jefferson Davis lived with his family. Bet had
to ask for help.
She needed Mary.
Every enslaved person in the South needed Mary.
It would be dangerous. Mary had to keep to herself and
pretend that she wasn’t very smart, and that she couldn’t
understand writing or maps. She memorized every scrap of
information she found, then she snuck the information out of
the Davis household and into the hands of the people it
would help.
But she had to be very careful: getting caught could mean
getting caught by the neck at the end of a rope because the
Confederacy was quick to punish spies with death.
Could Mary find the most important clues of all before
someone saw her spying?
Loosely based on a real person and a true story, Spy on
History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring is a
story that’s as exciting as they come. I have to admit, I
was breathless.
Even though your child might sense that things will resolve
positively by the end of this story, authors Enigma Alberti
(a “nom de plume”) and Tony Cliff surely raise a kid’s
adrenaline with a plot that both thrills and teaches. Yes,
part of this tale is fictionalized but Mary – who actually
existed, as did all of the people in this story – is a great
role model; her bravery, wisdom, and (according to the
authors) her smooth transition to post-war life is
absolutely inspirational. What will further hold a young
reader’s imagination is the mystery woven inside the story
itself; there are clues all over this book – even inside the
title page! – and a side-story whodunit that’s just plain
fun.
This is a great introduction for Civil War
buffs-in-the-making, young biography fans, and kids who are
just learning to appreciate thrillers as a genre, so get
Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring.
This is something your seven-to-11-year-old will want to
see. |
