Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War

As Abbott profiles the four protagonists of her book, how does she use perspective to inform the reader of their thoughts and opinions?

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy is narrative nonfiction. What writing and storytelling elements associated with the genre does Abbott use to tell the stories of Belle Boyd, Emma Edmonson, Rose Greenhow, and Elizabeth Van Lew? How do these elements give life to the four protagonists?

How do the distinct backgrounds of each protagonist influence their contributions during the Civil War? How are they helped by their background? How are they hindered by it?

Each woman in Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy had a tragic or unfulfilled ending. Why was that? Were there individual reasons, greater societal reasons, or both?

How did the women, especially Belle and Rose, harness legacy, notoriety, and fame? How did these factors affect their lives during and after the war?

How do the women depicted in this novel differ from more well-known women from the Civil War era, such as Florence Nightingale and Harriet Tubman? Do they deserve to be as well known? Why or why not?

The Subversion of Gender Roles During Wartime is an important theme throughout Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. Choose one of the four protagonists and identify how she broke gender roles and fit into gender roles. How did she use the ways she fit into gender roles to serve her cause?

How did the four protagonists of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy fit into society before the Civil War, during, and after? How did their place in society evolve?