Customer Reviews

The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Read this, and you'll feel sooo smart...trust me! I was TEACHING MY HISTORY teacher about the Boston Massacre after I was done! This was my very first Rinaldi book, and for a while it was my favorite book in the world! This entriguing story got me hooked on reading. I got up to 10,000 pages in 4 months. Yep, it'll get you started! But anyways, Rachel Marsh is a humble nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams. Everything in her life is comfortable...the home is nice, the children are wonderful, and she is treated by her emploers much better than a simple servant. Then, they come. One day, fleets of British troops invade Boston, and that's where Rachel meets and befriends Private Mathew Kilroy. After the Boston Massacre happens, Rachel must make a descision...break off her friendship with Mathew and remain with the Adams, or continue to be his friend and be fired! This story is so real, it almost depresses you in the sad parts. I really loved this book, and would HIGHLY RECCOMEND it to anyone!

Because I was reading another of Ann Rinaldi's books in English class (Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons), I decided to give some of her other books a try. The first one I picked up was The Fifth of March, a story of the Boston Massacre.

The Fifth of March follows the story of young Rachel Marsh, a teenage indentured servant in the home of John and Abigail Adams. Rachel is a loyal servant, but what she wants most in the world is to have a Place, like the women she admired have. Living in Boston, a rebellious city, during the years preceding the Revolution, Rachel had a lot of oppurtunities to make opinions about political situations. Many of her friends are Patriots, but Rachel also befriends Matthew Kilroy, a private in the British army. Rachel is forced to make many life-changing decisions throughout the course of the novel, and that is what makes the book so interesting. It's not all facts that I could recite straight out of my history textbook, but it has an interesting plot that keeps you interested in the story.

Don't get me wrong, as far as I could tell, the events in this book match up perfectly with history (and believe me, I know enough about the American Revolution to last a lifetime). Rachel Marsh herself was a real person, according to the author's note. And another thing that says wonders about the author: I am currently reading another of her novels, taking place in the same time period, and the stories are completely different. Ann Rinaldi has an extrodinary gift for writing about history in an interesting way, and I reccommend this novel to all!

Ann Rinaldi is coming to dominate the historical romance field for young adults. Her novels always find the heart of the matter, regardless of the period. "The Fifth of March" is no exception, as it places young Rachel Marsh in the middle, between the Patriots like her employer John Adams, and her young love, the British soldier Matthew. The outcome is taut with excitement. My only complaint, and that is as a teacher and not a reader, is that the history isn't quite detailed enough. The issues driving the Boston Massacre aren't laid out as clearly as I would like them to be, but the story is good enough for me to ignore that complaint. A good, romantic read for young lovers of history.

The Fifth of March
Do you want a novel with romance, history, and excitement
wrapped up into one book? Well for anyone eleven and older,
The Fifth of March is the book for you! Rachel Marsh is an indentured servant to John and Abigail Adams in the 1770's when the British troops first come to Boston until after the Boston Massacre. Rachel ends up falling in love with a British sentry named Matthew who is stationed outside the Adams' house. Then the Boston Massacre happens occurs... what happens next? That's up to you to discover! Ann Rinaldi's understanding of the Revolutionary War and the descriptions of all the events that Rachel encounters makes this a very suspenseful book. Read this well done historical fiction tale of a girl caught in the ordeals and excitements of her time.

"Read any book by Ann Rinaldi for your report, then write a paper on it," said my history teacher. As soon as he mentioned Ann Rinaldi I cringed; I had tried to read "A Break With Charity" a year or two ago, and it was too boring for me to get through. So I reluctantly went to a bookstore and bought a book that was about the time period we were studying in history, "The Fifth of March." As soon as I got past the first chapter, the book got incredibly good, and I usually don't even like historical fiction.

The book is about a girl, Rachel Marsh. She is an indentured servant for John and Abigail Adams. It is about how she is struggling between keeping her position as a servant and by doing what is right, feeding a British soldier, her friend, in jail.

No matter what you need this book for, a history project, a kid who likes historical fiction, it is almost perfect. The only bad thing about the book is that some parts are boring. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to broaden their knowledge of history. Enjoy!

i am 13 years old, i read this book for a book report, i had to read a historical ficiotn book. i grabbed the first one i saw at the library. i thought it would be one of those books that take forever to read, because they're so boring. but i liked it, a lot! i seriously recamend this book, i thought it was great!

its about a 14 year old, rachael marsh, who is growing up during the begining the revolutionary war. she lives in boston and is an indentured slave to mr. and mrs. john adams, she takes care of their 2 childern. rachael doesnt know what side to take in the war, she cant make up her mind. she also likes a british soldier, matthew. she is put up to tests of loyalty to mr. and mrs. adams, her uncle, and to her best friends.

i really suggest this book! this is one of those books that i would read again and again!!

This was my first Ann Rinaldi book, and it turned me into a fan. Rinaldi has such an incredible way with words that puts you into the story, and makes you relate to the characters. In this book, the lead character witnesses the Boston Massacre, which is close to home for me because I was born in Boston. "The Fifth of March" opened my eyes to how amazing and interesting history is. Definitely read this book!

For social studies, I had to choose between a few different historical fiction novels. After choosing the Fifth of March, I was just dreading having to read it. However, as soon as I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I'm not a big history fan, but I loved this book, and really did learn a lot by reading it. Everyone can relate the problems the characters from 2 centuries earlier are going through to their live's! This book is about a 14 year old working for the Adams'(who are patriots) during the boston massacre. It is really interesting and captivating even if history doen't normally interest you. Their is romance between Rachel, the 14 year old, and a soldier from England(a loyalist, the opposite of a patriot). This part of the book is not at all predictable like you would expect. Although I won't give away the ending, I will say that it doesn't end like you would expect. If you really want to learn something or just enjoy an interesting and easy read, read this book.

I LOVED this book. It's about a 14 year old girl (Rachel Marsh) who is a nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams during the Boston Massacre. Rachel befriends a British Private, Mathew Kilroy. When this happens, she must choose between her position w/the Adams', or her freindship w/,Mathew. I won't give away anymore, but this book is suspenseful, well written, and it even has a bit of romance. I couldn't put this book down when I got through the first coulple of pages!I loved it! I would also recommend Finnishing Becca, In My Father's House, Cast Two Shadows, The Secret of Sarah Revere, An Aqaintance With Darkness, The Coffin Quilt, and A Break With Charity. Rinaldi is the best author I have ever read from!

As a fan of Ann Rinaldi, I've read a large number of her books, and this one tops all of them!! This is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read. Starring a young girl (Rachel Marsh) working in the Adams' household and trying to find her place in the world, this is an intruiging book packed with excitement and new discoveries. I've always loved reading about colonial times in history books--now its almost like I've lived there! This book was carefully researched and well written--I actually felt like it was happening to me! You should definitely try it.