The Tubman Command: A Novel

Harriet Tubman was an amazing woman and inspirational for her inner strength, her leadership, her courage to face danger and death so that others could find freedom. I found this novel to be well-written, however, the pacing was too slow for me and seemed to drag too much. If you enjoy historical fiction, I'd recommend giving this book a try. I know only a few facts about Harriet Tubman from history class, and this book seemed well-researched.

This book describes a little known raid conducted by the Union Army and a well known woman during the Civil War. Harriet Tubman, also known as Moses, worked with the Union during the war to free as many slaves as possible. This book recounts the amazing raid up the Combahee River deep in Confederate territory in order to free more than 750 slaves at one time. The book also details Harriet's personal life and struggles that led to her becoming one of the most important women in American history. This book is based on her life and her efforts during the Civil War, with most events portrayed actually factual, but also with some fictional events and people added into the narrative. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. Harriet Tubman has fascinated me since I was a little girl, and I jumped at the chance to read this book. The narrative was well done, descriptive, and realistic, and Harriet was very easy to empathize with. The depiction of the raid at the end gave me actual chills and made me shed a few tears. One thing I didn't care for was the invented affair Harriet had in the book with a fellow worker. I can understand the need to add people and details to a historical fiction narrative, but it especially bothers me when major events are invented, whether or not they actually happened (especially when they are of an immoral or questionable nature). That being said, I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley's Bookish First program. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I enjoy historical fiction, especially when, as this did, it recounts events with which I was unfamiliar. The author brought the people and the times to life, and I found myself indignant on Harriet's behalf at the lack of respect and lack of human dignity with which she was often treated. I appreciated that the author's note revealed how some parts of the novel (such as Kizzy's storyline), were inspired by small details from the historical record. I do wish there had been more information on what happened after the story. How many men enlisted? Did this help put an end to plantation culture in the area? What efforts, if any were made to help the newly freed ones start a new life? What I didn't like about this novel was the love story. I can't begin to imagine all the pain and complications that arise when humans are treated like livestock. Still, this love story had the ring of infidelity, so I could not enjoy that storyline. Thank you to BookishFirst for the early read.