Daughter of Liberty (American Patriot Series, Book 1) [Paperback]

J. M. Hochstetler (Author)

Book Description

Series: American Patriot Series, The | Publication Date: April 13, 2004

It's Eastertide, April 1775, and in Boston, circumstances are escalating toward a fateful confrontation between the British Regulars and the Sons of Liberty. Caught in the rift between Whig and Tory, Elizabeth Howard is torn between her love for her prominent parents, who have strong ties with the British, and her secret opposition---as the infamous courier Oriole---to England. Elizabeth must learn when the Regulars plan to seize a critical store of munitions. But she hasn't counted on the arrival of Jonathan Carleton, a captain in the Seventeenth Light Dragoons. To Elizabeth's dismay, the attraction between them is immediate, powerful---and fought on both sides in a war of wits and words. As Carleton quickly wins General Thomas Gage's confidence and the assignment to ferret out Oriole, Elizabeth realizes he is her most dangerous foe---and the possessor of her heart. As the first blood is spilled at Lexington and Concord, Carleton fights his own private battle of faith. And the headstrong Elizabeth must learn to follow God's leading as her dangerous role thrusts her ever closer to the carnage of Bunker Hill.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Daughter of Liberty is a magnificent book, well written, researched, and developed. It is the best historical novel I’ve read since I can’t remember. Besides the smooth-flowing style and pacing that simply carries one from one page to the next, the characters are people who rise from the page. Even the secondary characters have personal issues, conflicts, human desires, and fears and resentments. The author weaves real people and events seamlessly into the story. The real events of 1775 Boston are integral to the plot and the actions of the characters. That takes a great deal of detailed research. Since I know this time period well, I can assure you that the author is meticulous in her details and research, yet these details are so much a part of the characters’ everyday life and goals that they don’t stick out like someone who researched exhaustively. It’s the kind of historical novel I love to read and find too few to read. That it is Christian fiction makes it all that much better.” —Laurie Alice Eakes, author of Heart’s Safe Passage

“J. M. Hochstetler tells the story of Daughter of Liberty in a style I love. She takes fictional characters and sets them at critical moments in history to describe events through their eyes. I’ve long believed that history in school should be taught through fiction. Instead, history is taught with the dry textbook style of memorizing dates, places, and names—something guaranteed to suck all the fun out of it. Great historical moments are always fraught with tension, life and death, heroism, sacrifice and passion. A novel can catch all of the natural drama while still delivering the facts. Daughter of Liberty is the first in a series of novels by Hochstetler about the Revolution. I can’t wait for more.” —Mary Connealy, author of In Too Deep

“This is an exceptional book. I read the last 150 pages in one sitting. Heart racing, tears falling, I suffered the anguish and indecision that Elizabeth and Jonathan experienced. Hochstetler has created a magnificent, well-crafted story that will endure with the classics. . . .To read Daughter of Liberty is to live in 1775 and to experience the spirit that made our country great. Read this book for pleasure, but don’t be surprised when you receive an awesome history lesson that brings you an appreciation of the United States of America in a deep, new way.” —Louise M. Gouge, author of At the Captain’s Command
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

It’s Eastertide, April 1775, and in Boston, circumstances are escalating toward a fateful confrontation between the British Regulars and the Sons of Liberty. Caught in the rift between Whig and Tory, Elizabeth Howard is torn between her love for her prominent parents, who have strong ties with the British, and her secret opposition—as the infamous courier Oriole—to England.

Elizabeth must learn when the Regulars plan to seize a critical store of munitions. But she hasn’t counted on the arrival of Jonathan Carleton, a captain in the Seventeenth Light Dragoons. To Elizabeth’s dismay, the attraction between them is immediate, powerful—and fought on both sides in a war of wits and words. As Carleton quickly wins General Thomas Gage’s confidence and the assignment to ferret out Oriole, Elizabeth realizes he is her most dangerous foe—and the possessor of her heart.

As the first blood is spilled at Lexington and Concord, Carleton fights his own private battle of faith. And the headstrong Elizabeth must learn to follow God’s leading as her dangerous role thrusts her ever closer to the carnage of Bunker Hill.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310252563
• ISBN-13: 978-0310252566
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,400,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and reared in central Indiana, the daughter of Mennonite farmers. The Hochstetler family is well known for the massacre and Indian captivity of several of my ancestors during the French and Indian War. You will find a brief summary of their story on my Web site. Amish Mennonites, they came to this country in 1738 seeking religious freedom. In 1757 their home was attacked by a band of Indians. Three members of the family were killed and three were carried off into captivity, returning after the war ended. Their story is truly inspiring.

A graduate of Indiana University, I am a professional editor and a historian. I was and editor with Abingdon Press for many years and am currently the publisher and editorial director of a small press, Sheaf House Publishers. I am a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and Historical Novels Society. I live with my husband near Nashville, Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and well written!, June 5, 2006

By 

Kathi Macias (Homeland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Liberty (American Patriot Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book from first-time author, January 16, 2006

By 

Diana Urban (Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daughter of Liberty (American Patriot Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

"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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, May 19, 2005

By 

Jack W. Regan (Grand Rapids, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Liberty (American Patriot Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

J. M. Hochstetler's historical novel based on the American Revolution, Daughter of Liberty, thoroughly captures the tension which hung over New England in the days immediately preceding the outbreak of hostilities. Plagued by constant information leaks and unable to apprehend the slippery American courier known only as Oriole, the British prepare to march on Concord.

Elizabeth Howard, young patriot daughter to one of Boston's most respected Tory families, is caught in a deadly game of wits when she meets a dashing captain of the Seventeenth Light Dragoons, Jonathan Carleton. Although it is obvious the captain is attracted to her, and she to him, Elizabeth is painfully aware of her secret, that she is the hated Oriole.
From the "shot heard round the world," to the Battle of Bunker Hill, J. M. Hochstetler weaves a story accurate in historical detail, while simultaneously drawing the reader into the tumultuous lives of her characters. Filled with quick action, the battle scenes are so absorbing you can feel the smooth, rounded wood of a Brown Bess musket nestled against your cheek.

CraigHart.net highly recommends Daughter of Liberty for fans of American History, or simply those who enjoy stories in which the stakes are life and death.

Craig Hart - CraigHart.net/ChristianLit Magazine