The Undertaker's Assistant is an educational and well written tale of the American post civil war era, particularly focussing on the continuing tensions between races and the the systemic racism still very much present despite the abolition of slavery in its wake. Parts of it were very well done, but other aspects fell flat. 

Where the author excels is in the historic setting and descriptions, the scientific technicalities of embalming and the depiction of the boiling pot of tensions leading to violence, murder and mobs. Where she falls down are her characters. Effie starts off strong; an intelligent and capable young freedwoman who manages to find a place in an undertaker's despite the disadvantages of her race and gender. I started to lose interest in her as the insta-love narrative took hold. The main side characters are less appealing from the start; Adeline has an interesting back story, but is generally bland whilst Samson is used for the insta-love angle, rather than taking advantage of his position as a politician.

In fact, I think this novel would have been significantly stronger with the love story angle removed entirely. The focus could then have been entirely on the historic upheaval of the time and how Effie gets dragged into it. It would also have allowed more exploration of how Effie's boss switches sides in the unrest. These were the really interesting elements, particularly as Ellie finds herself more and more involved in the political scene of the time. The shoe-horning in of the romance sub-plot didn't add anything to the novel and detracted from the interesting elements.

This was still an interesting read, it just could have been better.

As far as I can remember, this is the first book I've read that focuses specifically on a time surrounding the Civil War (at least since I was a kid). I'm not sure why I haven't gravitated to this time period before because it was such an intriguing time in American history.

Effie had managed to escape slavery during the war. Having lived with an army surgeon's family during that time, she honed her skills and her tolerance for blood and grief. When she returns to New Orleans, she finds work as an embalmer. However, being a freedwoman doesn't mean her life is easy and free of prejudice. The fight for civil rights and dignity has only just begun.

I was hooked on the story for the first ten chapters or so. From there, more plot points were introduced and there was a lot going on at once. I didn't dislike it, I only thought the book would solely (or largely) focus on Effie's work in the mortuary. The other parts of the story were interesting to read and Effie is a darling protagonist, there was just a lot going on in a relatively short book. I would love to see this as a series.