Can you keep a secret? Mary Bowser kept one for most of her life. Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring tells the true story of a former slave who became a Union spy during the Civil War. During the war, Bowser collected information for the Union and even attempted to burn down the Confederate White House. But being an exceptional spy also meant that historians overlooked Bowser for years. To add to the mystery, the government destroyed records of Southern spies to protect their identities, including Bowser’s, after the war ended. Spy on History brings the story of a little-known Civil War hero to readers as they attempt to solve a mystery within the book. “You don’t quite understand how difficult it was unless you try for yourself,” Daniel Nayeri told TFK. Nayeri, who edited the book, hopes readers learn about spy craft by testing their wits against Bowser. Nayeri also hopes readers learn about Bowser’s life after the war, when she became a teacher to freed Southern slaves (a job that was illegal at the time). “It’s hard to imagine someone giving more to her community than that,” Nayeri said.