Customer Reviews

Shadow Patriots: A Novel of the Revolution

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One word comes to mind when I think back over this read and that is VIVID!! Ms. St. Clair Robson has vividly brought to life the time period of the American Revolution as well as the real-life figures that played key roles during this conflict.

This is the story of the mysterious lady spy known as 355. Not much is known about this courageous lady but the author has penned a story that seems all too possible and real. As a result fans of historical fiction will find themselves transported back in time to when our fledgling country was taking a stand and traitors to this cause. A young woman by the name of Kate works hard to keep the Continental Army safe by passing information. The reader will become totally invested with her character and as a result step back in time with her. She finds not only friends but love on her journey but when her activity is found out what will happen to her? Will she be hung as a spy and will she ever see Rob her love again?

This story totally captivated the reader and I can honestly say that I had a hard time putting the book down. I cheered and cried, throughout this whole story. I highly recommend this read if you are a fan of well-done historic fiction. Trust me you won't be let down.

The American Revolution is one of my special interests. I have probably read a thousand books over the past fifty years, both fiction and nonfiction, about it. This novel is the equal of Kenneth Roberts' great work Oliver Wiswell--another spy story now that I think of it. I expected it to be good, Ms. Robson's previous books are all special, but I did not expect anyone to ever approach the great Kenneth Roberts' heights.

Ms. Robson's characters are always fully formed and believable, her descriptions and situations historically accurate, and her stories compelling. I did not think she could ever top Sarah Bowman in Fearless, but she has. And I did not see one line in this book which was historically inaccurate. A true, thrilling, treasure!

Shadow Patriots is another one of Lucia St. Clair Robson's treasures that you can't put down until you've finished it - then you hate yourself for reading it so quickly as you wanted it to last - and last - and last. Lucia has a wonderful way of making the cardboard figures of history come alive and show you the way it actually was in those days.

She tapped into a little known area of the Revolutionary War and not only brought the everyday people to life but she also has the talent and ability to make our well known figures human. She places them in their time and world - taking them out of the dry stuff of history lessons.

As usual, now I can hardly wait for her next book.

Reading this novel actually transports you back in time to the Revolution. You experience-live-the story along with the characters, see the sights, hear the sounds, smell the smells, and experience the fear and exhaltation. You literally become part of the story and the era.

Kate Darby is a Quaker in a well-to-do home in Philadelphia. Though most Quakers remain neutral (those who do not are "read out" of the Society), Kate by slow turns becomes a patriot, and finally a spy for George Washington. Historically we know Washington had a woman spy in New York known to history only as #355; this is her story.

But it is also much more. Did you know, for instance, that one of Washington's most important decisions was to vaccinate his army against smallpox? Who even knew they had vaccinations back then? They did, and it's in the book. The struggles in Valley Forge, and the much worse winter of 1779-1780, the British problems while occupying New York City, Washington's constant deception of the British with disinformation and his struggle to obtain reliable information about them and their plans, the continual peril of innocent civilians just trying to survive between the two forces, all are part of this great story. Take out the fictional characters and this would be an outstanding history book.

Robson also gives some much needed insight into what led the most successful American general, Benedict Arnold, to turn traitor.

As a novel, a true page-turner, it will keep you up till you finish. As a history, an excellent history of the time and the struggles of the Revolution. As an experience, time travel!

Once again Lucia Robson has brought history alive with Shadow Patriots. Having been born near Valley Forge and being immersed in the Revolution since I was a kid, Shadow Patriots brings back the adventure and excitement that the American Revolution was. Not only is it a great spy novel with plenty of twists and turns, but Lucia Robson brings the characters alive so you cheer them on and want them to succeed. The book brings out the torn feelings of loyalty to family and friends; but also to country and honor. Once again Lucia Robson has developed characters and a plot where you won't want to put the book down, but at the same time you won't want it to end.

Lucia St. Clair Robson is a writer who focuses on re-telling popular, male-dominated stories from a woman's perspective. Not that she gives short shrift to her male characters, who can be dynamic, fully-realized individuals, but her stories have heroines where we are used to reading about heroes. I first came to Ms. Robson through her novel, "The Tokaido Road," where she tells the famed Forty-Seven Ronin story from the perspective of the gorgeous courtesan-warrior, Cat. I have read many novels of feudal Japan, but only "Shogun" is better at transporting you to that exotic, distant island.

With "Shadow Patriots," Ms. Robson takes on perhaps the most male-dominated story of our American Heritage - the American Revolution. For all the debts that we owe the Founding Fathers, Ms. Robson reminds us that women just so happened to be involved in our struggle for independency, too.

"Shadow Patriots" is Robson's conjuration of a story out of a historical footnote. There is evidence that the British hung an American woman who spied on them under the code name "355." Thanks to exhausting research and a full command of the period, Robson creates Kate Darby, a modest, beautiful Quaker girl who gets caught up in the Revolution against her will. As a Quaker, Kate believes in non-violence, honesty, and placing God above either British or American loyalties. But the brutal brother-against-brother conflict of the war burns down the fence Kate is sitting on, and she must choose sides.

Kate is not alone in her struggle. Her brother, Seth, and her love, Robert Townshend, must also choose sides and struggle with those choices as well as the fact that they have each fallen in love with enchanting women at impossible times. The dashing British Major John Andre must match wits against Benjamin Tallmedge in the war of intelligence and misinformation. And Benedict Arnold must cope with the snubs to his glory as well as his gorgeous, spoiled-rotten prize, Peggy Shippen.

Robson recreates the America of the late 18th century with a charming eye for detail and a wicked sense of humor. Sexual mores, the latest fashions, Quaker purity, and the cowardice of senior officers are all fodder for Ms. Robson's rapier-like wit, and "Shadow Patriots" offers several laugh-out-loud moments.

But at its heart, "Shadow Patriots" speaks to the tragedy of war - a conflict where men and women of honor, wit and courage are at the mercy of cruel forces beyond their imagining. For some, their virtues will be enough to save their necks, but for others, the exercise of those virtues places them squarely in the cross-hairs of fate. "Shadow Patriots" makes you rue the deaths of several beloved characters, but it makes you thankful that the men and women represented by those characters came along at time of such importance to our country.

I only give this novel four stars because a couple of major sub-plots do not feel resolved by the end of the story. While the final chapter left me spell-bound, I kept checking to see if there were pages missing because there are some substantial questions left unanswered. A minor quibble for such an impressive book, but I must use that single star to distinguish "Shadow Patriots" from "The Tokaido Road," which I gave five stars.

I haven't read very many historical novels centered on the American Revolution because most of the aforementioned novels use only the backdrop of the time period to tell a different story. None of the stories had centered on the actual war. I have read several history books about this time period, but I would have liked to read a nice fictional story centered on the time frame. Diana Gabaldon's later books in the Outlander series have been quite insightful and accurate, but I yearned for more. Shadow Patriots is one of the most vivid, accurate and enthralling American Revolution novels I have ever read. I couldn't put this book down! This tells the story of Kate Derby, a young Philadelphian Quaker whose life changes the minute she becomes unwillingly part of the war by way of her brother Seth. The Quakers in general avoided the war, but this is no longer an option for Kate as she becomes a spy for the Continental Army. Will she survive her dangerous mission or be hanged for being a spy? There are many twists throughout the novel.

There is no way to give a synopsis without giving vital information away, so I will summarize the review by once again saying that this is one of the most vividly told historical novels I have read. The descriptions and references are very accurate and you feel as though you've been transported to the eighteenth century. This is a history book disguised as a novel, only more interesting with a compelling story that will keep you turning the pages until the late hours of the night. This is a fictional account of George Washington's female spy in New York that only went by #355. This character riveted me from beginning to end and I couldn't wait to read what would happen to her. This Revolutionary War novel is, as I've said, one of the best out there and I cannot recommend this gem enough. Lucia St. Clair Robson is a very talented author with great attention to detail and I look forward to reading her other offerings. Shadow Patriots is a treasure that has earned a place in my "must reread" pile. I really have to read this novel again to let it all of the wonderful historical references sink in.

Only Lucia St. Clair Robson with her fabulous research credentials and skillful plotting ability could have synthesized the wealth of information about the Revolutionary War into such an exciting narrative about the espionage activities surrounding America's birth.

Praised for her dedication to accuracy by both amateur historians and academics, Robson's riveting plot lines keep even the most exacting fans of best-selling thrillers turning the pages. In Shadow Patriots, the intrigue surrounding one of George Washington's most elusive spies, a woman known only by a number--355--, comes alive through Robson's stunning talent for peopling history with unforgettable characters. Details about domestic and military life during this exciting period linger in one's mind long after reading this compelling story. Highly recommended, this novel honors America's little known patriots who gave their all to secure our freedom.

After being able to hear Robson speak at my school, I was overjoyed to be given the opprotunity to read her novel. Not long after reading the book I became enthralled and unable to put the book down. Every second of the book was fascinating. The way Robson wraps the historical figures in with her fictional plot is remarkable. As far as I know the book is historically accurate and has all the great names in American history such as George Washington, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamiliton, and much much more. The main character Kate Darby is truely unique and sensational. She tears down the stereotype of a damsel in distress and proves that women can do whatever they put their minds do. Incredible Novel and quick read.

I love historical fiction, but can get turned off quickly by historically-innaccurate books or writing that doesn't feel like that time-period. Well, neither of those things apply to this book; it was written as if someone from the Revolutionary war was looking over Ms. Robson's shoulder. The tone of the book, the characters' conversations, and the details were amazingly realistic. I was drawn into the characters' lives and would definately read another book by this author.