3.5 stars ( )

Good, entertaining and interesting! ( )

Effie, a former slave, was taught the art of undertaking by a northern doctor. After the war, she travels back south to New Orleans to find a new life. When she meets Samson Greene, she is immediately stricken by his charisma and ability to turn a phrase. Later, she meets Adeline, a formerly rich woman who is struggling to maintain her lifestyle.

Although the premise of this book was interesting, the characters were flat. They were a bit one-dimensional. There wasn't enough of the post woven in to make Effie believable or likeable. Without interesting characters, the rest of the story was hard to get into. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars. ( )

Not as powerful as Skenandore's debut novel, Between Earth and Sky, but still touching and enlightening. Effie was a great character and I loved the development of the side characters as well. Skenandore is amazing in her attention to detail and historical research. I'm eager to see what else she can produce. ( )

Effie Jones was born a slave before she escaped to Union lines where she was taken in by an army surgeon and taught the trade of embalming as the ward of the surgeon and his wife. Now, ten years after the war Effie is compelled to leave the only home she remembers and travels to New Orleans. Effie knows that there might not be many opportunities for a young freedwoman, but she takes a chance by knocking on the door of Mr. Whitmark, the local Undertaker and a former Union soldier. Mr. Whitmark takes Effie on and while improving the shop, Effie tries to find where she fits in. Effie quickly falls for the orator and state legislator Samson Greene and becomes involved in his political committee fighting for rights. Effie also finds an unlikely friend in Adeline, a Creole who teaches Effie social graces in return for help with her tricks of the spiritual trade. However, Effie is looking for more than friendship and love, she is looking for what she forgot before she was found in the Union camp, a family to miss her when she is gone. The answers Effie is looking for might be closer than she thinks.

Thoughtful and distinctive, The Undertaker's Assistant is a historical fiction novel of Reconstruction era south that intelligently weaves together the experiences of a freedwoman and a woman on a journey of self discovery. I was easily able to connect with Effie's character and the turbulent but exciting times in Reconstruction-era Louisiana. Effie also shows the unique lens Undertaker and the very well researched practice of embalming. The impact of the Civil War left it's mark on more than just the freed slaves and the soldiers. Effie's employer, Mr. Whitmark, a southerner who fought for the Union is treated as an outcast even though the Union won. Adeline is a Creole whose family has been hit by the economic downturn. There is also Sampson Greene who has found his calling in helping others to rise above and using his freedom for political action. With this diverse cross-section of people in one place, I can feel the tension rising over the course of the story. In addition to the setting, Effie's search for herself and ties to her own culture drive a second story line. Effie's quest to discover her roots and the people from her past was heartfelt and emotional. Throughout the story there is a foreboding foreshadowing that something traumatic has happened in Effie's past, I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery within Effie's mind as her travels revealed hidden memories locked in her mind.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )