Book For The Week 9/8/2013: The Treason of Mary Louvestre by My Haley

The Treason of Mary Louvestre

by

My Haley

When I first heard about The Treason of Mary Louvestre by My Haley I was very much looking forward to reading it.  I remember enjoying the Roots TV mini series as a young person and admiring Alex Haley as an author.  The idea of reading something by his widow who worked with him on his work was very appealing.  Since the historical novel is my favorite genre, the prospect of reading a historical novel based in the time frame of the Civil War was also very appealing.   And finally,  the topic of a strong woman who against great odds accomplished an important task was indeed very appealing.  This book had all the ingredients of a novel I would enjoy very much.  After reading the book I can offer to it friends as an okay read.  It was entertaining.  But it will not be near the top of my list of ten favorite books I read this year if it even makes the list at all.  My Haley is honest in the introduction that the book is fiction.  The person of Mary Louvestre did exist and she did get the information about the CSS Virginia to the Union Navy. Please see HERE.  (Page 264 of Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia)   But nothing is known about her so therefore the story that My Haley writes is fiction based on what she believes could have been.  I did not find it believable conjecture.  Perhaps I do not know enough about the time frame to buy into it.  I had never heard of homosexuality being an issue among slaves although after thinking about it I would suppose it was present just as it is present now in some social groups.   I did like the last third of the book best.  It held my interest more than the first two thirds, although I did not find the outdoors man skills of survival that Mary Louvestre demonstrated in keeping with the seamstress character that had been developed up to the point where she ran off and headed for Washington DC.  Mary is a slave who was able to obtain the plans of the CSS Virginia which revealed the ship's weak spot for the Union to hit and therefore prevent the South from breaking the North's blockade.   If you click on the title and the author's name above you will follow the links to more information.  Also enjoy the video below about the ships and the battle that determined the blockade remain in place.  I would recommend this book based solely on the fact that there is not enough information and literature available about the contributions of women and blacks in the Civil War.