Women Undercover: 6 Must Read Historical Fiction Tales of Intrigue and Disguise
Historically, women have had to hide their true selves for many reasons. In fiction this can lead to some really intriguing stories, full of tension. As the readers, we know the woman’s true identity, but we relish seeing her forging her way under a different persona, at risk of grave danger if she ever lets the façade slip.
In my new novel Woman 99, set in 1888, pampered San Francisco socialite Charlotte goes undercover in an insane asylum in an attempt to rescue her beloved older sister. I was inspired by Nellie Bly’s harrowing real life undercover adventures as an intrepid 19th Century reporter looking to expose the terrible conditions in insane asylums of the day. At the time, her work was truly groundbreaking. Throughout history, women have had many reasons to go undercover in different ways – making for great fiction. Here are several captivating tales to get you started.
A Study in Scarlet Women – by Sherry Thomas
Offering a fun, original spin on Sherlock Holmes, Thomas writes from the perspective of disgraced high-born young lady Charlotte Holmes, whose frustration with Victorian England society’s unwillingness to value or respect her intelligence leads to her invention of a fictional “Sherlock” Holmes, and the rest is history. And she’s got a Mrs. Watson. Also, she loves cake. Gotta respect the cake.
An Extraordinary Union – by Alyssa Cole
Undercover situations don’t come much more fraught than this—Elle Burns (inspired by the real historical figure Mary Bowser) is a former slave who returns to slavery in the Civil War South to spy for the Union. Romance, danger, Pinkertons, espionage, the Confederacy – as the title suggests, the cocktail of plot and character offered here is truly extraordinary.
The Best Bad Things – by Katrina Carrasco
Speaking of Pinkertons, Carrasco’s protagonist Alma Rosales is a former Pinkerton agent, as well as a total criminal, bisexual cross-dresser, and a lot of other interesting things. In disguise as the scrappy dockworker Jack Camp, she hunts for stolen opium in 1880s San Francisco and finds a lot more than she bargained for.
Inspired by Jane Eyre to write a character whose life is much like Eyre’s except that she’s also a serial killer, Faye makes the undercover life a treat to read. When Jane Steele applies for a position as a governess in the home where she grew up so she can hunt for clues about her relatives and her own lineage, she adopts the not-all-that-farfetched moniker Jane Stone, and moves among people with rip-roaring secrets of their own. It’s awesome.
I Shall Be Near to You – by Erin Lindsay McCabe
To follow the man she loves, Rosetta Wakefield adopts a male identity and the name Ross Stone, and enlists as a Union soldier. Inspired by the letters and stories of more than 200 women known to have served as solders during the Civil War by going undercover as men, McCabe weaves a tale of selfless love, dedication, uncertainty and commitment in the face of dire threat.
Main image courtesy of: Muffin
Greer Macallister writes novels inspired by the bad-ass women of history, including USA Today bestseller The Magician’s Lie (“A richly imagined thriller” – People Magazine) and Girl In Disguise (“A spunky spa saga” — NPR). Her new novel, Woman 99 from Sourcebooks was released in March 2019. She is an Editor-at-Large at The Chicago Review of Books and a regular contributor at Writer Unboxed. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @theladygreer or find out more at www.greermacallister.com.