I often judge a book by its cover, and usually it serves me well. Case in point: I was immediately drawn to Barbara Hamilton’s The Ninth Daughter because the quill pen and portrait of Abigail Adams on the cover quickly clued me in to the historical setting. Also, there was a prominent blurb praising the book written by none other than my favorite historical fiction author, Sharon Kay Penman (whose lushly detailed novels set in medieval Wales, Scotland and Britain set the bar for historical fiction).
Set against the backdrop of pre-Revolutionary War Boston, The Ninth Daughter is rich with historical specifics both about everyday life in colonial times and the political frictions between Tories and Patriots. It is 1773 and the dead body of a wealthy woman has been found. John Adams is accused of the murder, which seems to relate to the activities of his rebellious patriot group, Sons of Liberty. Adams’ intelligent and feisty wife Abigail is determined to solve the murder and clear his name.
There are a number of other good books I’ve enjoyed recently that are set in Colonial America. Blindspot by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore also features the Sons of Liberty, though painting some of its members in a less flattering light. Other characters include a kindly Scottish painter fleeing his debtors, an Oxford-educated African doctor turned slave turned runaway, and Fanny Easton, a young “fallen” woman disguised as a young man. In spite of the over-the-top characterizations (I am tired of characters who are women disguised as men – it just seems to happen way too often in historical novels), I was pulled into the historical Boston setting and the (albeit predictable) romance.
Another novel set during the American Revolution is Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers by Barbara Hambly. This richly textured historical novel brings to life four fascinating women who influenced the American Revolution and the birth of a new nation from behind the scenes. Political philosophy, family relationships and domestic details are deftly interwoven in these linked portrayals of Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Sally Hemmings and Dolley Madison.
Finally, if you’re interested in highly readable nonfiction accounts of prominent women early in our nation’s history, check out Cokie Roberts’ books Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation and Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation.
Do you have any favorite books – fiction or nonfiction – with historical American settings?
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