Book Description
They were unlikely comrades-in-arms. One was a self-taught, middle-aged Virginia planter in charge of a ragtag army of revolutionaries, the other a rich, glory-seeking teenage French aristocrat. But the childless Washington and the orphaned Lafayette forged a bond between them as strong as any between father and son. It was an unbreakable trust that saw them through betrayals, shifting political alliances, and the trials of war.
Lafayette came to America a rebellious youth whose defiance of his king made him a celebrity in France. His money and connections attracted the favor of the Continental Congress, which advised Washington to keep the exuberant Marquis from getting himself killed. But when the boy-general was wounded in his first battle, he became a hero of two countries. As the war ground on, Washington found in his young charge the makings of a courageous and talented commander whose loyalty, generosity, and eagerness to please his Commander in Chief made him one of the war’s most effective and inspired generals. Lafayette’s hounding of Cornwallis’s army was the perfect demonstration of Washington’s unconventional “bush-fighting” tactics, and led to the British surrender at Yorktown.
Their friendship continued throughout their lives. Lafayette inspired widespread French support for a struggling young America and personally influenced Washington’s antislavery views. Washington’s enduring example as general and statesman guided Lafayette during France’s own revolution years later.
Using personal letters and other key historical documents, Adopted Son offers a rare glimpse of the American Revolution through the friendship between Washington and Lafayette. It offers dramatic accounts of battles and intimate portraits of such major figures as Alexander Hamilton, Benedict Arnold, and Benjamin Franklin. The result is a remarkable, little-known epic of friendship, revolution, and the birth of a nation.
Customer Reviews:
Leadership in the Making.......2007-08-18
Despite the over dramatic title, David A. Clary's ADOPTED SON: WASHINGTON, LAFAYETTE, AND THE FRIENDSHIP THAT SAVED THE REVOLUTION is an exceptional account of the father and son relationship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette during the most tumultuous periods in American and French history. It is a detailed transatlantic narrative that takes readers from the aristocratic tendons of France to the revolutionary battlefields of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Through letters and documents, Clary shows the roots and foundation of the United States. The narrative is rich with historical accounts and derivatives, Lafayette's family origins as well as the town in which he lived that is international and regional in nature; in particular, Clary's research delves into Virginia history, the battles at Brandywine and Yorktown where Washington and Lafayette developed and honed and complemented each leadership skills. In addition, Clary parallels the French Revolution and the events happening in France to the framework of the US Constitution, which ties in with Lafayette's adoption of political and diplomatic thought, which he experiences in the United States and utilized with great fecundity at an attempt to maintain law and order in his chaotic France. At times the book reads similarly like a novel because of the ornate language that is displayed in the letters that Lafayette and Washington exchanged to each other as well as the ones between Lafayette and his wife, Adrienne, but overall, the passages are engaging.
One of the highlights of the book is its layout. There are beautiful portraits of each notable participant that Washington and Lafayette encountered during this revolutionary period, such as several of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Adams, which was painted by one of the notable artists of the period, C.W. Peale. And the most impressive aspect about ADOPTED SON is the reference section of the book that cite the sources, notes, the bibliographical and archival information, and the chronology of historical events that relate to Washington and Lafayette.
After reading ADOPTED SON, readers may be enticed to learn more about Lafayette as well as view George Washington in a different light as a mentor and a father figure. The book draws along the lines as sentimental, but always reverent towards two of the monumental figures in history. Indeed, this is a book that reminds serious history readers how democracy affected the rest of the world.
How we beat the British to create the United States.......2007-07-02
The author expertly crafts the relationship between Lafayete and Washingotn and details how that alliance bet the British and the Hessians whom were looking to suppres the colonies. No photos , yet an excellent use of illustrations of each key member.
Slow at times...but an elightening read!.......2007-06-30
This book is very slow at times but well worth the read. Mostly you just think of Lafayette as an important figure during the Revolution itself. I had no idea how big a part of things he was after the Revolution ended. Especially for the American Cause. Add in his participation during the French Revolution and I was blown away. If you want to learn about the relationship between Washington and Lafayette and about Lafayette the man, then this is the book for you! You will not be disappointed.
Remembering America's Forgotten Son.......2007-05-01
September 6, 2007 is the 350th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de Lafayette. It is certain to be celebrated in grand style in France. It is uncertain, however, whether the Marquis, a citizen of America, will get the recognition he so richly deserves from the country he helped liberate.
"It is impossible to imagine the American Revolution turning out the way it did without either Washington or Lafayette," writes author and historian David A. Clary. "Lafayette contributed the weight of his native country to Washington's struggle, along with his own fortune....He deserves the credit for the decision to send more money and supplies, an army and navy [from France] to America. The alliance was a difficult one...but it tipped the balance of the war."
Clary's "Adopted Son" is a detailed and insightful look into the life of Michel-Louis-Christophe-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. This amazing man, appointed a Major-General in the Continental Army, devoted himself fully to Washington and the American cause and was instrumental in the overthrow of the British in the colonies and his own king in France.
Clary's book is not only tremendously well written, but also richly illustrated. When describing the close relationship between George Washington and his "adopted son", the language is tender and moving.
When he was buried in France, soil from Bunker Hill was placed on Lafayette's grave so that America would always have a claim on him.
OUTSTANDING.......2007-03-12
In an age when we talk about 'freedom fries" as opposed to frech fries, one should read this book. You will get a true, concise picture of just how much we owe to the French during the Revolution!
The book is thoroughly researched and will keep your interest chapter to chapter. As a history teacher, I can honestly say that I actually learned inportant information from this book that will benefit the students in my classes.
A truly materfully written book that will not dissapoint the reader!!
Average customer rating:
- politically correct
- It was amazing!!
- It was a great historical fiction book of the RevolutionWar.
- Yet another fine work of historical fiction from Myers.
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The Keeping Room (Novel)
Anna Myers
Manufacturer: Puffin
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ASIN: 0141304685 |
Book Description
A Revolutionary War novel with a difference
When Colonel Joseph Kershaw leaves Camden, South Carolina, to lead the American rebels in their struggle against the British, he leaves his son Joey behind as the man of the house. But what can a 13-year-old do when General Cornwallis comes into town and makes the Kershaws' home his headquarters, and begins hanging American prisoners in the family garden? Joey is determined to get revenge--even if he has to risk everything.
"Finely crafted, the book offers a potent message, unfettered by moralizing, about war." --Kirkus Reviews
Customer Reviews:
politically correct.......2007-04-25
This book was very ...modern. The characters were stilted stereotypes, the reasons for the comflict from either side were mentioned only breifly in passing. The ending was predictable and the book had the feeling that the author crammed in every politically correct topic that she could think of. Even throwing in remarks on topics that have absolutly nothing to do with what is going on in either dialogue or action. All in all it seems to have been written to showcase modern political correctness rather than history.
It was amazing!!.......2002-06-08
At first, when my 6th grade Social Studies teacher told us we were going to read The Keeping Room I was thinking "Oh great, a book that we're going to have to do work on." I wasn't too excited. About the time we had gotten to the end of the first chapter I had already picked out my favorite character and wanted to keep going. Of course my favorite character was none other than Euven, Joey's Quaker teacher. Joey's dad, Colonel Kershaw, went off to protect Camden, South Carolina. But General Cornwallis showed up with his men. Camden decided to surrender. Euven tells Joey that there are both good and evil men on both sides of the war, but Joey doesn't want to believe it. But sure enough he meets a man on the British's side who is a good man. Captain Harkins, one of the few nice men on the British side, protects Joey from harm caused by the other soldiers. But, try as Captain Harkins might, Joey refuses to become friends with him. I learned that anyone living in the times of the Revolutionary War would have had problems with the British. I also learned that no matter what happens never give up. Joey kept going and he never gave up because he wanted to prove to his father he could do it. But Joey finds out no matter how old, wise, or nice someone is, it doesn't mean they're always right.
It was a great historical fiction book of the RevolutionWar........1998-11-22
great boo
Yet another fine work of historical fiction from Myers........1997-10-01
In her latest offering of historical fiction for young people, Myers (Fire in the Hills, Red Dirt Jessie, Spotting the Leopard) once again paints a thought-provoking picture of a long-ago time and place while showing that many things, including relationships with family and friends, and above all, feelings, have not changed very much at all. In The Keeping Room, Myers presents an unforgettable coming of age story set during the American Revolution. Young Joey Kerhsaw longs for his beloved father, who is fighting against the English during the American Revolution. When Colonel Kershaw is captured, and the British under General Cornwallis take over the Kerhsaw home to use as their headquaters, Joey is devestated and is determined to strike back by killing a redcoat; his vengence and hatred toward the British cause one of the few good men serving under Cornwallis to be killed; Joey learns that there are good and bad men on both sides but it is too late: the damage is done. As the book closes in two thought-provoking letters between father and son, the reader realizes that Joey's opinions of slavery and war are forever changed. Joey and his family will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.
Book Description
An autobiography of a young Chinese man whose childhood and adolescence were spent in Mao's China during the Cultural Revolution.
Customer Reviews:
Such a dramatic life story keeps the mundane details in perspective. .......2006-06-16
A long and, at times, stressful read, but worth every beautiful word.
Accurate, personal account of modern Chinese history.......2006-02-20
Liang Heng's memoir accounts his experiences living in the second half of the 20th century. This book belongs in the category of "Wound Literature," books written post-1976 about the Cultural Revolution. While an enormous body of Wound Literature exists, Liang's is unique for the Western reader because it represents the perspective of a man. The book is a quick read and it does a good job of critically examining history but leaves out polemic politics.
A harrowing adventure of growing up in China 1954-80.......2005-04-19
This book, by Liang Heng, apparently co-written by his wife Miss Shapiro, is a very quick read, one of those books with a well-flowing style to its prose and simplicity and power of its description. You don't want to put it down.
It is a story of how Liang Heng grew up as his family was torn apart by the ever changing and eratic policies enforce by the state of which Chariman Mao sat at the helm. He was probably about five when his mother was branded a rightist devationist. She had been encouraged to make criticisms of the party during the "Let one hundred flowers bloom" campaign and after honestly thinking it over, decided to criticize her bosses at the local police department for elitism and abuse of power. Of course, the Hundred Flowers campaign was eventually transformed into a rectification campaign. His mother was sent to the countryside,eventually being able to return once a month home to see her children and face the frenzied abuse of her husband, a very indocrinated, humorless, pious party member and journalist at the local state run paper. Liang's father for political safety eventaully got a new wife who, like the father, also had questionable associations and links with the old KMT regime. This new wife was posted as a school teacher in a far away city and due to bureaucratic restrictions on movement, they could not see each other for many years.
The most vivid parts of the book deal with the cultural revolution. Liang Feng as a zealous primary school student, initially lifted himself up at the beginning of this time by making cartoons of his teachers accusing them of being capitalist roader,bourgeois counterrevolutionaries, etc. But soon, his father got caught up in the trap because he was an intellectual, had briefly been part of a KMT group during the dark days of Chiang Kai Shek and the rapacious landlords before he was exposed to Maoism, and so on. Liang was branded a "stinking intellectual's son" and shunned and sometimes physically abused by his peers. His father was forced to go through many "struggle sessions" and paraded around town in a dunce cap.
The Cultural Revolution years are indeed described with the most simple and powerful indepth vivideness. The Cultural revolution for Liang had many harrowing adventures including his participation in mock long march and a stay in Peking to be part of a Red Guard group at a Musical conservatory during which period Liang caught a glimpse of Chairman Mao. Another episode deals with the armed combat of the rival "conservative" and "rebel" Red Guard groups and all sorts of splinter groups fighting for control of the city of Changsa, Liang's home town. Liang Heng gets caught in the middle of one battle and witnesses horrible death and destruction. He eventually joined a street gang made up of children of counterrevolutionaries and of communist china's lowest class, what Marx called the Lumpenproletariat. He spent some time being a cart pusher and custodian of a pig pen on a train,under the mentorship of the wise old migrant worker and street person Pockmarked Liu.
The climax of the book's vividness is probably when Liang Heng's father is transfered to the countryside for hard labor in a peasant commune. The particular commune where they are sent is in a very neglected area and the peasants very benighted. Liang's dad is assigned the duty of teaching Chairman Mao thought sessions to the peasants. Liang and his father are forced to live with a peasant and his wife, who have serious difficulty accomodating them. Unfortunately, Peking had launched another mass movement this time about elminating capitalist practices, and so the local leadership used the opportunity to harrass the peasants. The state gave this particular commune, in contrast to other areas, not much resources, and the peasants could only survive by raising revenue by selling produce from their livestock which was now being confiscated. During this episode, there are such notable incidents as Guo La Da' and the confiscation of his ducks. (...) The peasants in this commune seemed to be able to be more independent, beyond the reach of indoctrination if only because the government couldn't quite afford to put its tentacles into their remote area. Another incident deals with the hard suffering of Guo Lucky Wealth's wife, the wife of the peasant household they stayed in. She wanted to get pregnant but she had been manipulated into getting a birth control device put inside her. Guo Lucky Wealth's wife enlisted the services of a local witch doctor to make her fertile, but the witch doctor couldn't get quite the right potions.
After this point, the story loses some of its vividity as the events in his life are told more briefly. But it still is very interesting. By the early 70's, Liang Heng started to get some breaks, including being assigned a decent job at a factory to while he played for the factory's basketball team. He admits that though living standards on the whole improved(only slightly for all too many he claims) in China from the dark days of the KMT, he began to fully grasp that the cruelty, stratification and corruption in the economy and government in his society was quite different from the propaganda conception of what socialism was supposed to be. He tried to pursue girlfriends but his unfortunate political status ruined those relationship. Then he managed to get bribe his factory party officials and others to help him get accepted into college. This was after the lunacies of the Cultural revolution had died down and colleges were reoopened for competitive examination after the "Gang of Four" and their followers were purgedd after Mao's death. He eventually met Miss Shapiro who was working as a foreign language teacher at his college and fell in love with her. After college, his first postition was that of a school teacher and was dissapointed that though the post-Mao era was seemingly enacting great changes, the students he taught still exhibited the same inability to think critically that his generation had. The students still had alot of their time devoted to blindly memorizing the same silly Party slogans and being trained to worship the state, as Liang did as a youngster.
Eye Opening.......2004-12-02
Oh how the world needs to pick this jewel up. Showing a very accurate portrayal of life as it was in China during the Cultural Revolution Heng's own life experiences put to paper made me laugh, cry, and evaluate how very blessed my life actually is today.
One of those stories that siezes your heart in a reminder to never forget our past and the terrible atrocities that did and still do occur.
Monumental Book.......2003-09-14
I have read many books concerning people whose lives were destroyed by the Cultural Revolution in China, but none can compare to "Son of the Revolution." Liang Heng paints a very vivid and clear picture of life from an enthusiastic Mao Youth to a cynical, knowledge-starved young man. If there is any book out there that records the folly of both the Cultural Revolution and Communism in general, it would be this masterpiece.
I have read this book many times, and each time I go over it I discover something new. If you are truly interested in a first-hand account of the brutality of the Communist Chinese regime or is in interested in a great read, you must get this book.
Book Description
In 1774, as the new world simmered with tensions that would lead to the violent birth of a new nation, two Rhode Island brothers were heading toward their own war over the issue that haunts America to this day: slavery.
Set against a colonial backdrop teeming with radicals and reactionaries, visionaries, spies, and salty sea captains, Sons of Providence is the biography of John and Moses Brown, two classic American archetypes bound by blood yet divided by the specter of more than half a million Africans enslaved throughout the colonies. John is a profit-driven robber baron running slave galleys from his wharf on the Providence waterfront; his younger brother Moses is an idealist, a conscientious Quaker hungry for social reform who -- with blood on his own hands -- strikes out against the hypocrisy of slavery in a land of liberty.
Their story spans a century, from John's birth in 1736, through the Revolution, to Moses' death in 1836. The brothers were partners in business and politics and in founding the university that bears their name. They joined in the struggle against England, attending secret sessions of the Sons of Liberty and, in John's case, leading a midnight pirate raid against a British revenue cutter. But for the Browns as for the nation, the institution of slavery was the one question that admitted no middle ground. Moses became an early abolitionist while John defended the slave trade and broke the laws written to stop it. The brothers' dispute takes the reader from the sweltering decks of the slave ships to the taverns and town halls of the colonies and shows just how close America came to ending slavery eighty years before the conflagration of civil war.
This dual biography is drawn from voluminous family papers and other primary sources and is a dramatic story of an epic struggle for primacy between two very different brothers. It also provides a fresh and panoramic view of the founding era. Samuel Adams and Nathanael Greene take turns here, as do Stephen Hopkins, Rhode Island's great revolutionary leader and theorist, and his brother Esek, first commodore of the United States Navy. We meet the Philadelphia abolitionists Anthony Benezet and James Pemberton, and Providence printer John Carter, one of the pioneers of the American press. For all the chronicles of America's primary patriarch, none documents, as this book does, George Washington's sole public performance in opposition to the slave trade.
Charles Rappleye brings the skills of an investigative journalist to mine this time and place for vivid detail and introduce the reader to fascinating new characters from the members of our founding generation. Raised in a culture of freedom and self-expression, Moses and John devoted their lives to the pursuit of their own visions of individual liberty. In so doing, each emerges as an American archetype -- Moses as the social reformer, driven by conscience and dedicated to an enlightened sense of justice; John as the unfettered capitalist, defiant of any effort to constrain his will. The story of their collaboration and their conflict has a startlingly contemporary feel. And like any good yarn, the story of the Browns tells us something about ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable book chronicling the issues, politics and personalities of the Revolutionary period in Rhode Island........2006-05-21
The tiny State of Rhode Island certainly played a significant role during the American Revolution. Few recall that when Roger Williams established Rhode Island in 1644 it was for all practical purposes the first practicing democratic state since the fall of Athens. Rhode Islanders were an exceptionally independent lot. The burning of the two masted British schooner "Gaspee" in June of 1772 by a group of leading citizens of the colony essentially struck the first blow in the nations quest for independence. In "Sons of Providence" author Charles Rappleye recalls the historic events that were unfolding in Rhode Island in those years and focuses on two brothers, John and Moses Brown, who would find themselves on opposite sides of so many of the important questions of their day. It is a compelling story.
Until recently I never realized how important the issue of the slave trade was as the nations march toward independence proceeded. It seems slavery was a highly emotional issue even in the 1770's and 1780's. John and Moses Brown along with brothers James and Nicholas were members of one of the most prominent families in colonial Providence. The Brown family was involved in all manner of commerce and in 1765 they made the decision to enter the slave trade. And so it was that they outfitted a ship they christened "Sally" to make the voyage. In "Sons of Providence" you will discover why the slave trade was such a controversial and dirty business. If you have never read about the conditions that existed on these ships then you are sure to be horrified. It turns out that roughly half the slaves that were picked up on the West Coast of Africa died during the return voyage.
In any event, in the years following the "Sally" debacle John Brown and his brother Moses would pursue entirely different paths. John was first and foremost a businessman and lobbied for laws and policies favorable to the merchant class. For the rest of his life John Brown would continue to oppose any measures that would outlaw slavery and restict commerce in any way. Moses Brown on the other hand would renounce his Baptist heritage (his great grandfather Chad Brown was the first pastor of the First Baptist Church in America)and become a Quaker. Quakers were among the earliest and most vocal opponents of slavery and the simple Quaker lifestyle held much appeal for Moses Brown. Moses Brown would divest himself of much of his fortune and become one of the leading abolitionists of his day.
Although John and Moses Brown would continue to collaborate on a number of projects over the next quarter century they would nonetheless find themselves on opposite sides of any number of important issues.
In his extraordinary book "John Adams" author David McCullough
gets much of his source material from the voluminous letters between John and Abigail Adams. Likewise, much of the material for "Sons of Providence" appears to be culled from letters between John and Moses Brown. As such this book provides tremendous insight into the thought processes of those on both sides of so many of the important issues of that era.
"Sons of Providence" is exceptionally well-written and meticulously researched. This is a must read for history buffs and a great choice for general readers as well. Highly recommended!
shocking.......2006-05-13
uncovers what the history books have been trying to hide. america almost ended slavery at the very begining
eye opening.......2006-05-10
the north caused and profitted from slavery more than history books tell. this fabulous story shows two brothers who embodied the american quest for liberty while confronting the great question that still haunts our country today. incredible circumstances find the battle between abolition and slavery contained in one family, and details how the north defended slavery during the birth of our nation.
Average customer rating:
- China's Son
- Great Story
- under an unlucky star.
- An inspirational, insightful autobiography
- Interesting child account of the Cultural Revolution
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China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution
Da Chen
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Similar Items:
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Colors of the Mountain
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ASIN: 0385730500
Release Date: 2003-01-14 |
Amazon.com
Born in 1962 in southern China, Da Chen had monumental hurdles to overcome before he could even walk or talk. Mao Tse-tung's Cultural Revolution was in full swing, and the descendents of landlords, who were despised, were routinely stripped of their wealth, beaten, humiliated, and sent off to labor camps. Da Chen, the grandson of a landlord, lives several parallel lives: he excels in school but then gives up studying in the face of unbearable pressure and harassment from teachers, students, and administrators. He is a self-taught musician but also a member of a gang of toughs. His siblings, banned from school, work from before sunrise to sunset in the muddy, backbreaking rice fields. But eventually all the dichotomies in Da's life come together, and he makes a break for a new life, with higher education as his foundation for future success.
Da Chen's engrossing memoir, adapted for younger readers from his book Colors of the Mountain, paints a colorful, painful, sometimes humorous picture of life during the 1960s and '70s, when formerly privileged Chinese families were at the mercy of Chairman Mao and his ruthless Red Guard soldiers. The writing is at times jerky, other times poetic, and Da Chen's time frame can be confusing. However, this is a book young readers will not soon forget, especially if it's their first glimpse of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
A candid memoir about growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, adapted by the author from his Colors of the Mountain, published by Random House.
Da Chen was born in China in 1962. The grandson of a landlord, he and his family were treated as outcasts in Communist China. In school, Da was an excellent student until a teacher told him that, because of his “family’s crimes,” he could never be more than a poor farmer. Feeling his fate was hopeless, Da responded by dropping out and hanging around with a gang. However, after Mao’s death, Da realized that an education and college might be possible, but he had to make up for the time he’d wasted. He began to study–all day and into the night. His entire family rallied to help him succeed, working long hours in the rice fields and going into debt to ensure that Da would have an education. When the final exam results were posted, he had one of the highest scores in the region and had earned a place at the prestigious Beijing University. Now his family’s past would not harm their future.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
China's Son.......2006-12-03
I think china's Son by Da Chen is a great book. It talks about what had happened during the Culture Revolution which the author Da Chen had lived between. Also since his family was a landlord, and Mao didn't like rich people. Their land were taken and their father was sent to labor camp.
I think this book-China's Son would be great for people who are from 12~16 and who wants to learn about what had happened during the Culture Revolution.
Great Story.......2006-12-01
This was a great story but in order to enjoy the WHOLE story one must read the WHOLE story. This book is the abridged version of Colors of the Mountain. While this book grabs all the highlights if you're as nitpicky as I am I recommend you read Colors of the Mountain instead. Either is bound to give you a great tale; it's just a question of whether you want it all or just the highlights.
under an unlucky star........2006-04-06
I like learning about China and what happened back in the days. I just can't figure out why anyone would want to write an autobiography shamelessly asking for sympathy. Oh, I was the son of a rich family, and therefore I suffered. Woe was I.
I think I wouldn't mind if the protagonist failed the test. He sounded selfish and too arrogant--bitchy even.
An inspirational, insightful autobiography.......2003-03-04
China's Sons is the intensely personal account of Da Chen, born in China in 1962, is reviewed here for its importance to many an adult reader as well. Chen and his family were outcasts in Communist China, and Da had to drop out of school as a result. When Mao died, Da faced a long struggle to regain his education and go to college ý and his entire family helped him succeed. China's Son is an inspirational, insightful autobiography.
Interesting child account of the Cultural Revolution.......2002-12-02
As an adult interested in China and the Cultural Revolution and having traveled many times to China, I read this book not really expecting to glean much from it. It was well written though and appropriately rated. I found Da Chen a character I could relate with (even as an adult) and discovered his account to be full of emotion: frightened, bitter, angry, excited, happy etc.. I think most of the "facts" were presented in truth.
Book Description
Best by enemies within and without, Russia is reeling. And Vladimir Lenin is waiting in the wings-.
In 1917 Russia finds itself in a nightmare of political upheaval and violence as ruthless men clash over control of her destiny. Saddled with a devastating, unpopular war, the Provisional Government flirts with disaster while the power-starved Bolsheviks circle like wolves for the kill. Tsar Nicholas and his family have become both prisoners and pawns in this deadly game of chess.
Amid the turmoil, Anna Fedorcenko's sons face the consequences of their personal and political choices. Russia will never be the same, that much is certain. But unless Andrei and Yuri are able to cast off the blinders of the past, they too may be caught in the chaos sweeping throughout the Motherland.
A dark pall hangs over the Russian empire as it careens toward an unsettling future. Will the faith and love that have become the Fedorcenko and Burenin legacy shed enough light to make any difference?
Customer Reviews:
Do we have to say goodbye?.......2002-08-23
Although I consider having read all seven of the books in The Russians series a great accomplishment (and a very enjoyable one) I became so attached to Anna and the other characters that I was actually saddened when I finished this, the final book.
The series has given me a love for historical fiction and knowledge of many details in Russian history. Pella has done a wonderful job and I have never been disappointed by any of her works.
Classic, but I miss Phillips.......1999-07-31
I read the first three books in this series when I was 14 years old. I can't begin to explain the agony the third book put me through. I had compard the first two to a fairytale, and with the last came the reality as the real world crept into view...bringing tragedy and pain.
I find that the author(s) of these stories manage to twist their way into my gut like very few others have been able to do. If you are ready to being what will initially appear as light "pleasure" reading, but what will also stretch you heart to it's boundaries, try the series. And please, read them in order.
fantastic! Judith Pella really keeps you in suspense.......1999-01-06
I love this book!I have read the first six of the series, "The Russians" and there has not been one dull moment. Judith Pella does an incredible job of describing the characters and their feelings so well that you feel like you know them personally. This book really ties up a lot of loose ends; some sad ends and others are very joyful. But even the sads ones are just perfect because it helps give a realistic image of what live was like at the turn of the century in Russia. I would highly reccomend this to anyone!
Book Description
Mystery. Intrigue. Mistaken identities. Twenty-year-old Elizabeth Howard is living a life of secrets and lies. Torn between her parents, her loyalty to the opposition against the repressive policies of the British colonial ministry, and the love of a British Major, Elizabeth learns to follow the leading of her Lord instead of her own willful heart.
Customer Reviews:
Daughter of Liberty by J.M. Hochstetler Raises the Bar on Historicals.......2007-08-31
I'm incredibly impressed with the quality of this book and this author. Picture something between John Jakes and Diana Gabaldon, and you have Daughter of Liberty - a sweeping story of the beginning of the American Revolution AND the satisfying growth of a relationship that is fraught with impossibilities...and danger.
Inspiring and well written!.......2006-06-06
For someone like me who is not a fan of historic fiction and who honestly believed I had already read more than enough accounts of our country's revolutionary period, I was pleasantly surprised to discover The American Patriot Series by J. M. Hochstetler. The first book in this excellent series, Daughter of Liberty, was also the first book I had read by this particular author, but I knew right away it would not be the last. Within moments of turning to the opening page, I was captivated by this story of the brave and daring Oriole, a spy for the American Revolutionaries with a secret that could change the course of a nation, and Patriot, another spy with a most amazing secret of his own.
Hochstetler not only weaves a suspenseful tale of courage, intrigue, and romance, but also decorates the pages of this exquisite novel with some of the best writing I've come across in years. This book was well worth the read, and served to push me on to the second book in the series.
History Alive!.......2006-05-15
Rushing ahead to act without thought to God's will has consequences. Most often, negative, painful, and life-scarring. Yet we've all done it.
This is what connects a reader's heart to Elizabeth Howard, the main character in Daughter of Liberty, the first in The American Patriot Series, masterfully written by J. M. Hochstetler.
Elizabeth portrays the essence of innocent and faithful daughter to an established Boston family stalwartly supporting the Whig party. All the while, she is passionate for the patriot cause and dons the role of Oriole-elusive rebel spy.
Life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Captain Jonathan Carleton. He's magnetic, handsome, and a Redcoat. Elizabeth's traitorous heart is completely captured... a complication she hadn't counted on, especially when the first shots ring out in Lexington and Concord.
More than just her heart is at stake during the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War. The lives of many depend on Elizabeth. But has she truly learned to wait on God's will, or rush ahead in her own power to save the day?
J. M. Hochstetler's story delivers to the reader not only a page turner, but a wealth of education about the beginnings of the War for Independence.
Great book from first-time author.......2006-01-17
"The crack of the pistol's report came from directly behind the courier. Sizzling past so close to his ear he could feel the heat of it."
With these words, and the impact of a rebel fieldpiece, J. M. Hochstetler's Daughter of Liberty bursts onto the historical fiction scene.
Twenty-year-old Bostonian Elizabeth Howard sympathizes with the patriots' struggle for freedom from English oppression. Her convictions set her at odds with her parents' pro-British sympathies, and force her to live a life of lies and deception. By day she is a debutante, by night she is a spy.
Ruggedly handsome Jonathan Carleton was born in England, but is now a wealthy Virginian landowner. He's committed to serving his country, but to which does he owe his allegiance? As a member of the British regulars he stands for everything Elizabeth despises.
From the moment these two meet, their attraction is fiery and dangerous, and neither Jonathan nor Elizabeth suspects the other's true allegiance. Are they destined to remain enemies forever?
Add to this conflict a villain out to get both the hero and heroine, and a final plot twist that will delight fans of the Jane Seymore version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and you've got a truly interesting read.
The Revolutionary War makes a great setting for the realistic plot and action Hochstetler incorporates. Fans of American history will appreciate this novel as a painless way to learn more about the lives of such famous historical figures as General Thomas Gage, General John Pitcairn, Paul Revere, and Dr. Joseph Warren.
Although I am a fan of historical fiction, I was a little overwhelmed with the depth of history included in this book. The emotion of "disgust" was also used too frequently in the prose for my taste. However, the plot, the lively dialogue, and the character interaction-especially the romantic development-are fabulous, so don't let the historical details stop you.
Wonderful story.......2005-10-08
I loved this book it was one of the most wonderful stories I have ever read. It has a lot of twists turns and romance a must read
Book Description
The story of one of the most important -- and most elusive -- figures of the American Revolution, Samuel Adams traces the life of the "Man of the Revolution," as he was called by Thomas Jefferson, from his childhood as a fifth-generation New Englander to his pivotal role in the Boston Tea Party and war that followed to a life spent in public service. Benjamin Irvin explores the fascinating contradictions of Samuel Adams's life: he was born into a family of high rank, but lived a humble, almost impoverished life; he could barely manage his personal household, but brilliantly managed the Massachusetts House of Representatives; he pushed for the Revolution, but resisted the Constitution; he spearheaded resistance to the English government but staunchly opposed resistance to the U.S. government. A perceptive look at the life of a complex man, Samuel Adams is an evocative portrait of one of our nation's most interesting Founding Fathers.
Customer Reviews:
Much More Than a Great Beer Maker!.......2006-02-13
There are literally hundreds of volumes written on John Adams, but only a handful on his equally important founding cousin, Samuel. This book, SAMUEL ADAMS, SON OF LIBERTY, FATHER OF REVOLUTION, by Benjamin Irvin, is a fine place to learn about the forgotten Adams.
The book begins with a detailed instruction of life in Puritan New England in the 1700's. The book details how Samuel's father, himself a brewer, lost most of his fortune in a banking scheme. This event led the way for Samuel's distrust of British government.
Irvin devotes the major part of the book to a portrayal of the role Adams played in the events leading to the American Revolution. The author details such events as Adams protests against the Stamp Act and Townsend Duties and Adams inevitable rise to popularity with his involvement in organizations and events such as the Sons of Liberty, organizing boycotts of British goods, and writing petitions and resolutions of protest.
Irvin depicts Adams, as he should be, at the center of revolutionary activity protesting the Boston massacre, proposing the "committees of correspondence," and helping initiate the Boston Tea Party. Adams also served in the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress and was a signor of the Declaration of Independence.
In the post-revolution era, Irvin tells of Adams reluctant work in the ratification of the Constitution. Adams somewhat feared the powers being granted the federal government, but gave in to the federalists arguments.
Irvin concludes by telling us that Adams was the single most instrumental person in making the revolution a reality. This brief book is one of the better works available on the life and times of Samuel Adams.
Customer Reviews:
The first book in an exciting historiacal-romance series........1999-03-10
This book is the first in a series about a band of spies for the patriots in the Revolution, sort of a Days of our Lives meets George Washington. The writing is brisk and the plot interesting enough to keep you waiting to start the next book. A great read for a summer vacation or a snowy day. I have read the series twice already.
Book Description
Under orders from General Washington, Elizabeth and Tess return to Boston to continue spying on the British while Carleton journeys to the Pennsylvania frontier to negotiate with the Indian tribes.
Customer Reviews:
Just as good as the first one!.......2006-06-06
Native Son is the second book in author J.M. Hochstetler's The American Patriot Series, and is every bit as magnificently composed as the first. Picking up where Daughter of Liberty left off, Native Son reprises the suspenseful setting and believable characters of book one and indelibly seals the heart of the reader to the author's work.
With Patriot's identity exposed and a huge price on his head, he is no longer of any use to the Revolutionaries as a spy--but his previous experience living with a tribe of Native Americans qualifies him for an even more dangerous assignment. Oriole, however, has not yet been exposed and therefore must remain behind to continue gathering intelligence for General Washington and his troops. The intertwining of these two stories keeps readers riveted to their seats from the first page to the last--and anxiously awaiting book three.
intriguing sequel.......2006-01-17
J. M. Hochstetler's second book in the American Patriot Series, Native Son, draws readers into the compelling first chapter. Brigadier General Jonathan Carleton meets with George Washington to discuss the patriot troops' readiness for war against trained British soldiers.
Meanwhile, doctor's assistant Elizabeth Howard ties down a wounded man and helps the doctor amputate the man's gangrenous leg to save his life. As a patriot spy working in a Tory hospital, Elizabeth faces constant danger of discovery.
Although Jonathan and Elizabeth determine to marry at the earliest opportunity, circumstances and General Washington's orders conspire to separate them. Carleton heads into Indian Territory, while Elizabeth stays behind. They believe God has inspired their commitment to the Patriot cause, but as the separation stretches to months, each struggles with how it will affect their relationship.
When Carleton's negotiations with several Indian tribes turn sour, the Mohawks take him prisoner. Elizabeth wonders at Carleton's fate as time passes with no word from him. As she continues her work, one of the men helping her discovers her true role and threatens to expose her as a spy. Faced with danger at every turn, both Elizabeth and Carleton draw strength from the God they trust. But will it be enough as the pressures they face slowly change each of them and each continues to wonder about the fate of the other?
Native Son holds as much historical detail as the first book in the series, Daughter of Liberty. However, Hochstetler's clear writing and obvious research make both books intriguing reads. The detail in the medical scenes is exquisite and gave me an eye-opening understanding of Revolutionary War-era amputation and medical care. Fascinating details also enhance the scenes in which the Mohawks hold Carleton prisoner and in later scenes when he lives with the Delaware Indians.
Although Carleton and Elizabeth spend most of the book separated by many miles and different cultures, the strength of both characters easily carries the book. For fans of historicals, this series is a must. Watch for Hochstetler's third book in the American Patriot series.
An intensely moving story.......2005-12-30
Native Son, the second book of The American Patriot Series by J.M. Hochstetler, continues the saga of Brigadier General Jonathan Carleton and the woman who has stolen his heart, Elizabeth Howard. Each has pledged allegiance to General George Washington. Elizabeth's spy mission sends her gathering information among the Loyalists, while Jonathan's orders send him deep into Indian territory. When Elizabeth learns Jonathan has been captured by the Indians, she tries desperately to gain information about the man she loves. Unable to learn of Jonathan's fate, she is forced to continue life with the uncertainty of whether or not he yet lives. Jonathan's life changes drastically when he becomes a slave to the tribe that captured him. He must make decisions that put him in battle against the people to whom he has pledged his allegiance.
Hochstetler examines a little-known aspect of the Revolution by following the hero Jon to the West. People think of the Revolution being fought in Boston and along the East Coast, but there was trouble in the West, too, with the English, the Indians, and the settlers. Hochstetler lets us see that part of the war through Jon's eyes. Again the reader finds the war-tossed couple, Brigadier General Jonathon Carleton and spy Elizabeth Howard, separated by choice for the good of the new country and your heart breaks at the sacrifices these two make for the ultimate good of many. After Jonathon is sent to Indian territory, Elizabeth ends up in Boston. With wars of all levels--spiritual, emotional, and physical-- pressing on them, we feel the anguish they must endure. Rumors circulate and both characters must pretend they care nothing for the other. The story is set in 1775, and the reader is immediately folded into the setting, riding along enjoying every bump and bruise. Even when Carleton is captured, the reader hopes all will be well, although chances are pretty much against that.
Elizabeth and Jonathan, the star crossed lovers in the previous book Daughter of Liberty, have the perfect conflict: the American patriot and the British officer. Now they are being kept apart as Elizabeth is pressed back into service as a spy for General Washington. Elizabeth is the perfect society lady, listening in on secrets in Boston, occupied by the British. Her hair-raising exploits sneaking secrets past the ruthless British blockade are the best part of the book. Jonathan, who has a price on his head, can trust no one. He goes West where he was reared and meets the Indians- not all of them friendly- he knew as a child. So wedding plans are put aside while each sets out to carry out the mission Washington has assigned them. As the months pass in silence, Beth wonders if he is even alive. Should she begin to consider a life without him? And as Jonathan is taken farther and farther away from Beth, he fears he will never see her again. How can he go back to her while the war still rages? The British want him dead, and his new life with the Indians has even made him an enemy of his own countrymen. Is their Christian faith and trust in God strong enough to see them through?
Native Son is an intensely moving story, impeccably researched and excellently written. It is an intricate look into some aspects of the birth of our nation, and the struggles and temptations faced by two unforgettable characters. J. M. Hochstetler expertly weaves a tale of historical fiction with a romance that must survive the trials and dangers of the times. Outstanding! -- Erika Osborn, Christian Book Previews.com
Great sequel to Daughter of Liberty.......2005-11-24
I read Daughter of Liberty a year ago and thought J. M. Hochstetler brought American history to life in that book. I hoped at the time she'd write a novel about every major battle in the American Revolution. I got my wish in Native Son, but not quite the way I expected.
I'd heard of the battles of Lexington and Concord, though I knew precious little about them. In Native Son, Hochstetler examines a little known aspect of the Revolution by follow our hero Jon to the west. We think of the Revolution being fought in Boston and along the east coast, but there was trouble in the west too, with the English, the Indians, and the settlers. Hochstetler lets us see that part of the war through Jon's eyes.
Elizabeth and Jonathan, the star crossed lovers in Daughter of Liberty, had the perfect conflict, the American patriot and the British officer. Now they are being kept apart as Elizabeth is pressed back into service as a spy for General Washington. Elizabeth is the perfect society lady, listening in on secrets in Boston, occupied by the British. Her hair raising exploits sneaking secrets past the ruthless British blockade are the best part of the book.
Jonathan, now with a price on his head, can trust no one. He goes to the west where he was raised and meets the Indians-not all of them friendly-he knew as a child.
Hochstetler introduced me to a fascinating aspect of the revolution here and I'd say more except I don't want to give away too much of the first book. If you haven't read that book, I highly recommend you read the series in order.
I loved the glimpse into the lives of George Washington as he built his guerrilla forces into a fighting army, and the names and actions of the factual British Generals, intermixed with the fictionalized daring of our heroes.
Fiction like this is a great, fun way to teach history.
Birth of a Nation - History Comes Alive.......2005-09-26
Book two in The American Patriot Series, Native Son lives up to its expectations. In the weeks following the battle of Breed's Hill, Elizabeth Howard is preparing for her marriage to the dashing Jonathan Carleton. But their future together is in doubt when General George Washington summons them both to a private meeting.
The American struggle for freedom has just begun and both Beth and Jonathan are fully committed to doing their part in the war for independence from British tyranny. Beth's part is a pretext of Tory sympathizer while in truth she is a resourceful and valuable spy for Washington and the Patriot cause. Jonathan, once a British officer and now a General himself directly under Washington, and with a price on his head, has skills that will send him far away from Boston and Beth. It will also remove him from the risk of capture and certain death at the hands of the British.
So their wedding plans are put aside while each set out to carry out the mission Washington has assigned each of them. Beth's is to continue with her role in Boston, and ultimately New York Loyalist society, to learn what she can of the plans of the British. Jonathan is sent first to Fort Ticonderoga, and from there to enlist the support of the Indian tribes for the American cause, or at the very least persuade them to remain neutral and not aid the British. But he falls into the hands of a hostile tribe and that is the last Beth hears of him.
As the months pass in silence, Beth wonders if he is even alive. Should she begin to consider a life without him? And as Jonathan is taken farther and farther away from Beth he fears he will never see her again. How can he go back to her while the war still rages? The British want him dead, and his new life with the Indians has even made him an enemy of his own countrymen. Is their Christian faith and trust in God strong enough to see them through?
Native Son is an intensely moving story, impeccably researched and excellently written. It is an intricate look into some aspects of the birth of our nation and the struggles and temptations faced by two unforgettable characters. J. M. Hochstetler expertly weaves a tale of historical fiction with a romance that must survive the trials and dangers of the times.
While there are references to events and personalities introduced in Daughter of Liberty, book one in the series, Native Son easily stands alone. Nevertheless, I think you would enjoy it more thoroughly if you read Daughter of Liberty first. Either way, this is a must read. Well done!
Peggy Phifer ©2005
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