Crazy Bet

When John Reynolds journeys to Virginia to meet the woman who saved his uncle's life, he discovers an exceptional person and an unusual household. Elizabeth Van Lew lives in a decaying mansion, surrounded by freed blacks who are more family than staff, and ostracized by her neighbors because of her avowed Union sympathies. As John gains Elizabeth's trust, he learns that her contributions to the war effort were much greater and more dangerous than he had ever imagined. This novel is based in historical fact and legend regarding one of the Civil War's most controversial spies.