ENEMY WOMEN

Narrator Reba Buhr imbues Paulette Jiles's republished first novel, a vivid evocation of late-Civil War Missouri, with nuanced characters and a tonal through-note straight out of the Ozark Mountains. It's a memorable performance of a remarkable book. In 1864, Missouri was filled with warring Union and Confederate militias. In this confusion, we meet young Adair Colley, who's sent to a women's prison after Union militia burn down her mountain home and scatter her family. Adair remakes herself as a storyteller to survive prison, escape, and a dangerous journey homeward as an enemy woman. She is a character for the ages--all grit, poetry, and perseverance. A Union major falls in love with her, and so do we. May they somehow survive and live forever. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]