Alexandra is a compilation of women soldiers in the American Civil War

The Grand Illusion is more than a Civil War novel, it is also a coming of age novel as the

character, Alexandra, comes to terms with who she is and what she must do  as

she impersonates a man to be a soldier and spy. Alexandra struggles to come to terms

with the choices she makes. By the end of the novel these choices and experiences

have made her confident and  mature. The gender roles that Alexandra disregards are

finally being challenged publicly today, but still, not without great risk. That is why                                     The  Grand Illusion will resonate with today's youth.    

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“We were all crowded in the trenches. I was exhausted, but I couldn’t get any sleep. My thoughts were swallowed by the thick, hot night air. The spirits of the dead boys of our company huddled in the trenches next to me. I looked at the posture of my men and saw their raw, nervous tension. Some soldiers scribbled last-minute messages to loved ones. Others wrote their names, regiments, and the addresses of their families on slips of paper and stuffed them into pockets or pinned them to shirts. It was a superstition with them now like a rabbit’s foot or some other lucky token. We knew the more battles we were in the slimmer our chances of surviving the next one would be. We wanted to be sure our bodies would be identified. No one wants to be lost in death.”

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Fifteen-year-old Alexandra is sent to live with her grandmother in Virginia in 1861 to receive instruction on how to be “a proper lady.” The country is already in the grips of Civil War when a battle begins nearby. Eager to observe and not be detected, she borrows a young man’s clothes. Hidden behind trees, Alexandra watches as the first Battle of Bull Run unfolds before her. 

After the devastating clash, Alexandra is drawn onto the field when a Union officer mistakes her for an out-of-uniform soldier. She makes a conscious decision to carry on the charade and joins the fight disguised as Alex, a Union soldier.  Throughout her incredible journey she becomes friends with Clara Barton and meets Mary Todd Lincoln. Disguised as a black man, Alexandra spies for Alan Pinkerton in General Lee’s camp. She meets Harriett Tubman and helps a black family escape through the Underground Railroad.       

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AVAILABLE ON AMAZON 

and Barnes & Noble

   https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Illusion-Girl-Soldier-Civil-ebook/dp/B07PJNSDVZ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+grand+illusion+a+girl+soldier&qid=1589982696&sr=8-1              

On October 16 the Northbrook Public Library posted my interview in their Local Authors media section.  So very grateful to have hometown support!

Click the link below to read my interview.

 www.northbrook.info/keep-in-touch/news/local-collection-features-caralyn-lipschutzs-novel?