Time Enough for Drums [Paperback]

Ann Rinaldi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1988

Sixteen-year-old Jem struggles to maintain the status quo at home in Trenton, New Jersey, when the family men join the war for independence.

There are signs of rebellion in the Emerson household several years before the actual American Revolution hits in 1776! Brought up in a relatively liberal household, Jemima Emerson is quite a challenge for her tutor, John Reid, who is known as a Tory with strong ties to England. How could Jem's parents be friends with a man who opposes American freedom? Jem longs for freedom on every level, in the home and her homeland--and John represents the forces that restrict her.

Jem and her family soon find themselves fighting for freedom in whatever ways they can in the Revolutionary War. Before long, Jem discovers that there is much more to Mr. Reid than she ever imagined. Her feelings about him change when Jem realizes that John shares her love of freedom--and will risk his life to defend it.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW called this novel set during the American Revolution a "well-plotted historical romance." Ages 12-up. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9 Jemima Emerson witnesses the events of the Revolutionary War as they affect her family and home town of Trenton, N.J. She is a fiesty young lady whose family represents the differing positions of the colonies' fight for independence. Her older sister is married to a British officer, her paternal grandfather works for Indian justice and the cause of independence, her maternal grandfather is a Tory, her older brother an officer in Washington's army, and her mother writes pseudonymous patriotic letters to the newspaper. Jemima is tutored by John Reid, a supposed Tory who is really a spy for Washington, with whom she clashes as he tries to make her a proper young lady. Gradually her feelings for Reid change from animosity to love. The book is a good introduction to the causes and effects of the war but does not have the ring of veracity as does My Brother Sam Is Dead (Scholastic, 1985) by James and Christopher Collier. Problems arise with the use of first person in providing Jemima with information to report to readers. Lucy the house slave knows that the Hessian grenadiers had killed more American soldiers than any other Hessian unit on American soil. How Lucy became privy to this evaluation is not explained. Another issue that does not sit well is Reid's manipulation of Jemima. This might have been standard treatment for the period or an element borrowed from paperback historical romances, but it lessons the appeal of Jemima as the heroine of the story. Twentieth Century prejudice aside, readers will share the events of the war and be rewarded with a better understanding of the War for Independence. Therese Bigelow, Hampton Public Library, Va.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Troll Communications Llc; 1St Edition edition (August 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816712697
• ISBN-13: 978-0816712694
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,001,661 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

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Book!, June 25, 2000

By 

"adobe58" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time Enough for Drums (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm 15 years old, I've been reading Ann Rinaldi's books for at least five years, and I have to say that this has been my favorite. I got it yesterday and finished it within three hours - it was that good. Time Enough For Drums is one of those books that just grabs ahold of you and never lets go.

Most of Ann Rinaldi's main characters are strong-willed, outspoken young women, but I am constantly surprised at Ms. Rinaldi's ability to add new facets to the girls' personalities. Jem Emerson is no exception. She is sassy and willful to a fault, but is usually saved from getting herself into real trouble by the fact that the people around her genuinely love her for her good heart. I'm a fan of a good romance too, and the love story in the book is very satisfying. Anyone who has read a lot of Ann Rinaldi knows that the endings of her books don't always turn out exactly the way we want them to, but I was happy with this one, even though it was a little sad. Ms. Rinaldi is very realistic in her approach on the American Revolution and although the book is not graphic it makes no attempt to portray war as something better than it really is. Jem and the people close do suffer as a result of the war, but they are better people because of it.

This book would be a great gift for someone interested in American History or someone just looking for a good read.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Fan of Rinaldi, September 29, 2001

By 

K. Dickson (New England, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time Enough for Drums (Mass Market Paperback)

I've always loved Ann Rinadli's books, but found most of them quite depressing. Her "Quilt Trilogy" was a real downer, and "The Secret of Sarah Revere" never seemed to stop making it's characters miserable. Miserable or not, however, there was one strong point that kept me reading - well-developed, interesting characters and plots that equal no other. Nowhere else, truly, have I ever read stories as intriguing and exciting as the novels of Rinaldi. It was this that drew me to this book.

Unlike her other works, this book is actually quite a happy one in places. Although the subject (the Revolution) isn't exatly joyful, Rinaldi writes it so well that you can't help but be interested even when it gets sad. Not sad enough to turn me off, though!

The plot is far from simple: Jem is a teenage girl at the brink of the Revolution, caught up in her family's ideals and aspirations of freedom and independence. Jem's free-spiritedness often gets in the way of her being a true adult, something she longs for even when acting juvenille. (It is this, the flaws Rinaldi gives to her characters, that make it that much more interesting). Although educated and good-looking, Jem's tutor John Reid (a former lover of her silly and shallow older sister) is a constant thorn in her side. Not only is he super-conservative, he's also a Tory - a person loyal to Britain - with strong ties to England and the King. Or so she thinks! Several interesting plot twists make this book fun as well as insightful, and the romances are so down-played and work so well into the story that the book seems more and more like historical fiction of the best kind and less like the common historical teen romance you most often see today.

A keeper!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo, Ann Rinaldi!, March 21, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Time Enough for Drums (Mass Market Paperback)

I recently became aware of the many historical fiction books by Ann Rinaldi and was looking at the recommendations on Amazon to choose one to read. I clicked on 'Time Enough for Drums' and knew I just had to read it when I saw all of its rave reviews! Well, here's another one:

Jemima Emerson is a free-spirited, strong-willed girl of fifteen when talk of the Revolutionary War reaches her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey. Jem is a Patriot and is strongly against the British and their king, George III. She is also strongly against her private tutor, John Reid, who is a devoted Tory and is intent on keeping Jem under control and sculpting her into a young lady (The very last thing on Jem's mind!). As the war begins to take shape, Jem's older brother joins Washington's army, her younger brother wants to with all his heart, her mother sews for the soldiers and writes essays promoting the Cause, and her father, a merchant, refuses to stock British imports in his store.

The American Revolution is very much a part of the Emerson family's lives, but Jem is tired of spending long hours each day with her tutor when she could be riding her horse, visiting her grandfather, or helping the Cause. Lessons become more intense after John Reid is put in a position where he almost has to admit defeat and failure in keeping Jem under control and educating her.

One day Jem discovers a huge secret about John that puts his life in peril and forces him to trust her. The secret gives Jem newfound respect for him and causes her to view him in a different way. Eventually this respect turns into admiration and then into love, which is mutual between Jem and John.

When the war comes directly to Trenton, John Reid and Jem's younger brother leave to take part in the fight for independence. With the British occupying their town, Jem finds herself being faced with hard choices and forced to grow from girl to woman in a matter of several days. Through it all Jem remains true to herself and learns many valuable lessons about life and war. She has seen many awful for things for someone so young, but she has managed to learn something from each experience. At the war's end Jem emerges as a wise and spirited young woman with bright plans for the future and a new approach to life.

'Time Enough for Drums' was a wonderful book and definitely one of the best I have read. I loved Jemima's strong and willful character and the book's historical setting. Historical details were beautifully woven into a captivating plot that made me feel connected to the characters and the time. I know this is a book I will read over and over again, one that has found a special place in my heart.