I'm taking part in the War Through The Generations read-along of Enemy Women. This week, each of us had to read the Chapters 16-24. Please be warned there will be spoilers if you have not read the chapters previously.
In Chapter 17, once Adair has escaped the prison in St. Louis and is searching for a way South, Jiles makes a point of demonstrating the nation in transition between farming and industrial and traditional and modern sensibilities. How does she accomplish this and is it done well?
I found it interesting that Adair saw little fighting in on her way back home. I can't remember the transition too clearly (I finished the book a couple of weeks ago) but I liked the different people she ran into. Those characters made the transitions the country was in seem more real.
These chapters center on two things — Adair’s escape and attempts to return home and Major Neumann’s journey to join his new unit and the battle where he loses part of his hand. Which storyline do you find more interesting at this point?
I found Adair's journey more interesting but I'm glad Jiles' kept Newmann in the story. I was afraid we won't hear from him again. I didn't care for the battle or this part of his story as much.
What do you make of the woman and the daughter Adair stays with for a time? Do you think these scenes are necessary?
I found it interesting that Adair stayed with them. She seemed reluctant to trust people so I found it curious that she stayed with them.
Out of curiosity, do you think you would be as merciless as Lila and Rosalie or more cunning like Adair if you needed to steal to survive?
I probably won't steal to survive. My husband jokes that in a crisis I'm the first to lose my head. I mostly likely would have never survived during this time.
Thanks for taking part in the readalong!
ReplyDeleteI think you make a good point about it being odd that she didn't see fighting on her journey back home. I know nothing about Civil War battles, so I can't say whether it's accurate, but with the descriptions at the beginning of the book about the area being the site of many skirmishes between Reeve's men and the Union militia, you'd think she'd see more on this journey.
I found it odd that she didn't run into any fighting on the way back home either. You think she would have at least run into Reeves' men. I would hope that your husband could find a way to make sure you survived during that time even if he was off at war.
ReplyDeleteIt is curious that Adair would stay with the Spencers given her suspicious nature.
I was surprised that we focused on Neumann as much as we did--I didn't see that coming for some reason. I didn't like his battle, but I thought her writing style fit well with the descriptions.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have been ruthless or cunning, so most likely I would be dead, lol!