Megan Campisi

I have been intrigued by the concept of sin eaters since first reading about it. It arose from folklore legends in the British Isles from the 17th century until the early 1900s. Sin eaters were hired to sit next to a person near death or already dead and consume food thought to represent the person's lifetime sins. The sin eaters symbolically took the sins onto themselves, freeing the soul to pass peacefully, leaving the sin eaters with the accumulated sins.

This historical fiction centers around 14-year-old orphaned May Owen, who was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread and was subsequently sentenced to be a sin eater in Elizabethan England. There was another older sin eater, and both were shunned by everyone in the community. Their mantra is "The Unseen is now seen and the Unheard is now heard. The sins of your flesh become the sins of mine to be borne to my grave in silence." She learns that certain foods are associated with certain sins.

When the older sin eater is incarcerated and dies a brutal death, May takes on their duties by herself because she has no choice. She becomes puzzled by food she is requested to eat that symbolizes an unconfessed death. This is a suspenseful mystery as it evolves and a fascinating look into the life of a fictional sin eater.… (mehr)

Yes, this is a fictional story, but filled with facts and name drops.
As the book opens we are looking for the code that was used by an infamous Confederate spy. We are with the Pinkerton's and they have been tasked by the President to arrest and bring justice.
We are with Pinkerton's first woman agent and she is helping look and care for their prisoner, so interesting, Kate, is one smart girl, and we do follower what makes her tick all the way back to her roots.
We also learn some very true facts about what happens to some of these Pinkerton spies, and others who are actual people who helped the cause.
Be sure to read the great author's notes at the end of this book, she did a lot of research!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.… (mehr)

Drawn from the annals of U.S. Civil War history, this was an engaging and most interesting read about Kate Warne - the first U.S. female detective/Pinkerton agent and Union spy. Hers was an amazing and challenging life's journey from famine laden Ireland to a factory mill of Tremont, Massachusetts by the age of seven. Then on to Chicago where she convinced Pinkerton to take her on. As an avid abolitionist, she was driven to serve the nation and offer her best at all times. Yet, with chinks in that armor it could make or break her and risk the chance of staying alive. She was amazing, courageous, and not afraid to step outside society's constrictive expectations of women.

Ms. Campisi has given us a compelling and interesting story, all based in historical fact. She brings Kate Warne alive through her rich character building and the use of Kate as narrator. The scene settings are cinematic and transporting. The tension hold steadily throughout the story. If well written historical fiction with a strong female protagonist appeals, then this may well be the book for you.

I am grateful to Atria Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: April 9, 2024
Number of Pages: 256
ISBN: 978-1668024850… (mehr)