A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett is a fast-paced story spanning 18th century Scotland, London, and Virginia. We follow Mack McAsh and Lizzie Hallim, both strong-willed, independent people from differing socioeconomic classes. Mack has been born to the harsh life of coal mining; young men often yolked to a mine and landlord for life… Continue reading Review: A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett
Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell tells the story of young Mozart's relationships with the four Weber sisters beginning in 1777 Manheim, Germany. The Weber family follows the patriarch's direction in the appreciation of and vocation in music. They host musical nights every Thursday at their home, and it is on such a night that the family… Continue reading Review: Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell
I don't know how I didn't discover Beverly Swerling until now, but wow--Shadowbrook was right up my alley! Scouring Amazon for 18th Century fiction paid off! Shadowbrook takes place during the Seven Years War (French and Indian War), and for anyone who doesn't know, I have an obsession with the Daniel Day-Lewis version of… Continue reading Review: Shadowbrook by Beverly Swerling
A More Perfect Union by Jodi Daynard is the third book in the Midwife trilogy, and follows the mixed race son (Johnny) of Eliza Bolyston and Johnny Watkins. The book opens in 1794, some 15 years after the events of books 1 and 2. Johnny Watkins, "passing as white", returns to Boston from the… Continue reading Review: A More Perfect Union
Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard is the second book in the Midwife series, taking place concurrently with The Midwife's Revolt. As I'd hoped, this installment does indeed fill in the gaps of Eliza's story that Midwife was lacking. Both books could have been spliced together, I think, so that the reader could experience the picture… Continue reading Review: Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard
When I wrote the first two parts of my Am Rev series, one of my main motivators was simply writing a story I wanted to read. I've found that fiction about the American Revolution is surprisingly lacking in volume, so whenever I do find any--especially with women as the central characters--I jump at the chance… Continue reading Review: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard
View my review article on Philadelphia's new Museum of the American Revolution
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a YA novel detailing Philadelphia's 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic. Being in Philadelphia, I have heard about this particular epidemic...every time I walk past Washington Square Park I think about it, as well as the Revolutionary soldiers buried there. In the 18th Century, however, this space was called Potter's field.… Continue reading Review: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ridley Creek State Park is only 15 minutes from my apartment, and holds within it the Colonial Plantation featured in a previous post. With miles of trails to hike, Ridley Creek has many still-occupied 18th century farmhouses (oh how I want one,) as well as ruins of ones that did not survive the ages. The ruins… Continue reading Ridley Creek State Park: 18th Century Charm
In an effort to cross more local historical sites off my list, I finally ventured over to Brandywine Battlefield. The parcel of land sequestered for the battlefield is actually quite small, where in reality the battle was far more spread out (the Old Kennett Meetinghouse is a 10 minute drive from Brandywine battlefield). I had… Continue reading Brandywine Battlefield
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