Having read many books in the genre of historical novels, I approached this work with certain expectations. I look to authors of such works to find a period in history populated with people of interest and "fill in the blanks" left by historical accounts. For examples, conversations leading characters from one point to another, along with emotional accounts that go beyond the sometimes dry reporting of the historian are all appropriate.

I was not prepared for an author (who had obviously done her historical research) to choose deliberately to ignore certain key events in the lives of her characters or, in essence, re-write actual history.

George Armstrong and Elizabeth Bacon Custer are certainly fascinating characters who lived through fascinating times in United States history. The author has chosen a wonderful backdrop ranging from the Civil War through Lincoln's assassination, and Indian wars on the Plains, culminating with the loss of Custer and his command in the Battle of Little Big Horn. Much of the work is taken, almost word for word, from the three books Mrs. Custer herself wrote in recording the Custers' life together from the close of the Civil War to the final days at Fort Lincoln (Tenting on the Plains, Following the Guidon, and Boots and Saddles).

I was distressed to see circumstances of the Custers' wedding deliberately falsified, real historic acts attributed to different persons for the sake of presenting a fictionalized romance between Mrs. Custer and a soldier in Custer's command, and specific recollections of Mrs. Custer directly attributed to someone else.
These devices detracted from the story, in my opinion, and could be very misleading to a reader who reads this genre for historical background as well as for a good novel.

Those who have researched the lives of General and Mrs. Custer will find this book entertaining and will have the ability to separate the misleading from the reliable historical fiction. No one should use this book as a basis for understanding these real and human people.

To me, Libbie Custer is the attractive young woman beside George Armstrong Custer in all those old pictures. Beyond that, she has little historical significance. She spent much of her long life conducting a personal public relations campaign to save her husband's reputation, and refute criticisms of his actions at the Little Big Horn. She also needed to support herself. Part of this effort were three books of their life together on the plains. As a dutiful wife, Libbie Custer is fine. As an historian, she leaves something to be desired. Inevitably, her biased memoir does not qualify as either good history or as effective biography. Surprisingly, George Custer stays mostly on the sidelines. When he is mentioned, she ascribes only exemplary traits to him. The information she conveys of the struggle of army wives to make a home livable under primitive conditions is worthwhile. There is also tales of buffalo hunts and other recreations. People such as California Joe and Wild Bill Hickok make brief appearances in her narrative. In her politely restrained Victorian manner, Libbie laments the fate of white women suffering Indian captivity. This book, published in 1890, reflects its age in its portrayal of minorities. Native Americans are described sympathetically when they are prisoners living in the army corral. Otherwise, they are disparaged as wily and vicious savages. Considering her husband's death at the hands of the Sioux and Cheyenne, some personal prejudice can be forgiven. The descriptions of her black servant, Eliza, is blatantly stereotypical. Ultimately, Mrs. Custer's book is more a curiosity and a footnote than a meaningful history. History buffs that will read anything about the Custer saga may find it valuable. Others beware. ;-)