From Booklist
A small village in Maine in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War is the setting for Cooney's fifth novel, in which emphasis is placed less on the historic events of the times--the Boston Tea Party, George Washington's appointment as commander of the nascent army, Paul Revere's ride to warn of the approach of the British, and the growth of militias--and more on the effect of these events on the lives of ordinary people. When Tories massacre the Mowlan family of Tibbetston, Maine, in 1774, their friends, neighbors, and family come together to share their grief and then bond together to prepare for the coming war. Following the lives of several different characters, including the sister and brother of the murdered Lavinia Mowlan, and Winnie Goodbridge, a tavern owner who decides to use her personal savings to set up a foundry to make weapons to fight the British, Cooney convincingly shows how each person is changed forever by the violence that has touched his or her life.
Nancy PearlCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"A careful, intelligent account of the personal motives behind historical events. Dramatic and instructive."--Kirkus Reviews
"Emphasis is placed less on the historic events of the [Revolutionary War . . . and more on the effect of these events on the lives of ordinary people . . . Cooney convincingly shows how each person is changed forever by the violence that has touched his or her life."--Booklist
"A finely crafted narrative, a keen and sympathetic grasp of human nature, a convincing portrayal of place and time."--Down East
"Cooney's prose is lively and often surprising. Each character is fleshed out, earthy, and full of quirks. The major events of the time are woven into the story with ease."--Historical Novels Review
