The Secret of Sarah Revere [Paperback]

Ann Rinaldi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995 | Series: Great Episodes

The spunky daughter of the famed Paul Revere tells the story of her father’s rides and the intelligence network of the Patriot community prior to the American Revolution. Ann Rinaldi’s impeccable research and keen perception of adolescent angst create a look back in time that remains powerfully relevant today.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10?Once again Rinaldi has given readers a young woman's perceptions of what has too often been the all-male story of American history and politics. Paul Revere comes to life through the eyes and voice of Sarah, his 13-year-old daughter. Through the girl's observations, her father emerges as a family man, a caring friend, and a loyal patriot. Dr. Joseph Warren, an often forgotten hero of the Revolution, is warmly portrayed, as is Rachel, Revere's second wife. As Sarah comes of age against the strife of the times, she weaves critical events of American history into the everyday details of her family's life, making the characters convincing as real people. She is interested in clothing, food, and her older sister's romantic liaison, and has her own reverential crush on the handsome Dr. Warren. Because her father's activities take their toll on the family, she is also keenly aware of political and military events and secrets. Her analyses of them are painful but beautifully crafted, giving readers a sense of and a sensitivity to this period of history. The brief bibliography offers evidence of Rinaldi's scholarship, and her note discusses the process whereby she validates available historical facts but goes beyond them to interpret and draw her own conclusions in composing historical fiction.?Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. When a man comes to interview her father, Paul Revere, Sarah recalls the eventful past two years. Historically significant goings-on, such as the Boston Tea Party and her father's famous rides, intertwine with the personal, including Sarah's wondering whether her father's new wife is betraying him with another patriot. Sarah's growth into womanhood complicates matters even further. Rinaldi's depiction of daily life in Boston rings true (readers may think twice before drinking tea), and, for the most part, her dialogue remains free of anachronistic expressions. Her technique of framing the story within Sarah's recollections creates some initial confusion, but the swift pace and credible characters combined with impeccable research make the novel an involving and informative venture into history. Susan Dove Lempke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Graphia; 1 edition (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152003924
• ISBN-13: 978-0152003920
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,839,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ANN RINALDI is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. A self-made writer and newspaper columnist for twenty-one years, Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secret of Sarah Revere (Paperback)

The Secret of Sarah Revere, is a must read. This book is for anyone who likes historical fiction with added suspense. While some of the dialog is a bit tricky to grasp, the way that the author portrays Sarah, the daughter of Paul Revere, is outstanding. Ms. Rinaldi depicts a young women coming of age brilliantly. To understand this book you do not need to be a history scholar, which is another thing I loved about this book. So pick this book up and read it , because you will never forget how good it is.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A pretty good book, September 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Secret of Sarah Revere (Paperback)

In this book "The Secrets of Sarah Revere", Ann Rinaldi(author) has captured a essential time in the history of America, told from point of view of Sarah Revere the daughter of one of Americas honored patriots Paul Revere. The book is mostly about secrets and trying to crack them and keep them.

This book was the first historical-fiction I have ever read. To tell you the truth I didn't think that this book was going to be so interesting. But it was actually an enjoyable and easy read. It is not boring at all. It puts a very good picture in your head of how it was back then. It even makes you think, "What matters? The truth? Or what people think?" just because that is the question that pledges young Sarah (it is repeated over and over in the story).

I couldn't really pick a favorite character; every character was described so good that you could really see every quality that they had. But I did have a favorite part, it was a very sad moment in the story, because Sarah finally got to straiten thing out with Dr. Warren (a family friend who watches over the family while Mr. Revere is gone) but it was too late. She had said very harsh stuff to him because she feared that he had interest in her stepmother Rachel this moment drove them apart. For me this part was very sad, I really felt as if I was there and I were watching him not even looking or thinking about what Sarah was saying, he was all ready at war (Revolutionary War). This part really touched me. Reading this book has opened a new window to see the history of America from a different approach. Definitely I would start to read more historical books in the future.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another great book by Ann Rinaldi!, July 4, 2005

By 

irishdancer89 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret of Sarah Revere (Paperback)

This book is about Sarah and it begins in Watertown, MA in the summer after her father's famous ride. Sarah relives the past two years (which is most of the book) and learns a very important lesson.

I liked this book because;

1) I love the way Ann Rinaldi brings history to life in an interesting way.

2) Sarah's lesson is one that we can use in our everyday lives today.

Great book for teen girls. Read it!