August 1, 2003
Eva Sparrow is not a typical English lady. On a visit to some friends in Mississippi, she sees just how horrible slavery is, and while other ladies might be willing to ignore the South's peculiar institution, Eva searches for some way to help improve the lives of slaves. American Ryder Drake needs a connection to the British government. All of Ryder's work setting up a network of Union spies will be worthless if Great Britain decides to support the Confederate cause. Unfortunately, the person with the best entree to the British is Eva. Mistakenly believing her to be a silly woman obsessed with frivolous society affairs, Ryder discovers instead that Eva may be one of the most valuable weapons the Union cause will ever have. Beautifully integrating historical details and figures into her latest romance, Robinson pairs up an outspoken, unconventional heroine with a bold, brash hero, turning their frequent clashes into a wonderfully passionate, yet surprisingly sweet, love story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)