Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Review: Any student of Civil War-era history has some basic knowledge of Harriet Tubman, but perhaps not much beyond her role on the Underground Railroad. If nothing else, this book will deepen the reader's understanding of her ongoing role in liberating slaves throughout the War itself. Cobbs focuses on Tubman's actions as a scout for the Union Army at their camp in Beaufort, South Carolina. Tubman, or "Moses", as she was known by the "contraband" freed slaves, both recruited other scouts and helped to organize the slaves on the nearby plantation so that they would be ready to move when the Army came to free them.
A good novel of historical fiction makes the past come alive in a way that non-fiction can't. Unfortunately, I can't really say that Tubman leaps off the page in this book. Rather, it reads more like a work of narrative non-fiction from a close third-person point of view. However, readers interested in either the Civil War or Harriet Tubman will learn a lot from Cobbs's research and the information goes down very easily.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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