 | |
| Author | Alyssa Cole |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Kensington Books |
| Publication date | March 28, 2017 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Followed by | A Hope Divided |
An Extraordinary Union is a 2017 romance novel by American author Alyssa Cole. It was received favorably by critics and named to multiple best-of lists. It won multiple awards but was passed over by Romance Writers of America's nominations process for their major award, sparking discussions of racism within the romance fiction industry.
Plot
Freedwoman Ellen Burns, who has an eidetic memory, poses as a mute enslaved person in the Richmond, Virginia, household of a Confederate senator to gather intelligence for the Union. Scottish immigrant Malcolm McCall is a Pinkerton detective posing as a Confederate soldier to spy on the family Ellen has been "loaned" to. The two overcome obstacles to falling in love.
Series
The book is the first installment in Cole's The Loyal League series set during the American Civil War. Other books in the series include A Hope Divided and An Unconditional Freedom.
Reception
Kirkus called it "a masterful tale" and said it "defies genre stereotypes at every turn (and) offers a nuanced portrayal of Civil War–era racial politics. Any reader who thinks romance novels are pure fluff will be schooled by Cole's richly drawn characters, who must overcome generations of trauma in order to let themselves love each other."
Entertainment Weekly named it to their best romances of 2017 and said Cole "paints masterfully in shades of gray" a story of interracial romance that "interrogates slavery, systemic racism, and more, while still remaining utterly swoon-worthy."
Vulture named it to their best romances of 2017 and said it was elegantly and deftly written.
Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, calling it a "smartly written espionage romance brimming with vivid characterization, heartfelt dialogue, and sensual sweetness" and "sparkling gem of a romance".
Industry fallout
The book sparked discussion of racism within the romance fiction industry when, after having been one of the most reviewed romances of 2017, winning other awards, and being included on multiple major best-of lists, it was passed over by Romance Writers of America's Rita nominating process and not included among the finalists for the award. The finalists that year were all books by white authors. Cole is Black.
References
- ^ "An Extraordinary Union". Kirkus Reviews. 1 February 2017.
- "An Extraordinary Union: An Epic Love Story of the Civil War (The Loyal League #1) (Paperback) | The Ripped Bodice". The Ripped Bodice. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- Lenker, Maureen Lee (18 December 2017). "The 10 best romance novels of 2017". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- Green, Jaime (2017-12-21). "The 10 Best Romance Books of 2017". Vulture. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- "An Extraordinary Union". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- "Popular romance novelist Alyssa Cole to speak at Literary Tastes". RUSA Update. April 23, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- Green, Jaime (December 21, 2017). "The 10 Best Romance Books of 2017". Vulture. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- Seaman, Donna (September 15, 2017). "Top 10 Romance Fiction". Booklist Online. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- "Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2017". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- Adewunmi, Bim (1 May 2018). "Meet The Black Women Upending The Romance Novel Industry". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Fifty shades of white: the long fight against racism in romance novels". the Guardian. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2021-11-11.