The Undertaker's Assistant

This is an excellent post-Civil War story about a woman who’d been enslaved as a child and then learned the trade of embalming from a Northern soldier. Back in New Orleans, she comes to grip with her past and learns a lot about herself and others. In some ways, it’s a tough read but in others, it’s a celebration of a coming into herself. There’s not a lot of sugar-coating of the Reconstruction South.

As far as I can remember, this is the first book I've read that focuses specifically on a time surrounding the Civil War (at least since I was a kid). I'm not sure why I haven't gravitated to this time period before because it was such an intriguing time in American history.

Effie had managed to escape slavery during the war. Having lived with an army surgeon's family during that time, she honed her skills and her tolerance for blood and grief. When she returns to New Orleans, she finds work as an embalmer. However, being a freedwoman doesn't mean her life is easy and free of prejudice. The fight for civil rights and dignity has only just begun.

I was hooked on the story for the first ten chapters or so. From there, more plot points were introduced and there was a lot going on at once. I didn't dislike it, I only thought the book would solely (or largely) focus on Effie's work in the mortuary. The other parts of the story were interesting to read and Effie is a darling protagonist, there was just a lot going on in a relatively short book. I would love to see this as a series.