Revolutionary Reads

I have consumed a lot of fiction in my life but, outside of school, I can't seem to remember ever reading any historical fiction that centers around the Revolutionary War. With all the historical romances I read, one would think there had to have been some, but all I can recall is Westerns, Civil War, and the Regency Period. The Fourth of July is coming up and this lack of Revolution Fiction in my life needs rectifying, and in case anyone else is feeling the same, here's a list of Revolutionary reads to check out.

The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton

1773: The Massachusetts colony is torn between patriots who want independence and loyalists who support the King. At the center is the educated and beautiful Abigail Adams -- wife of John Adams, the leader of the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization opposing the Crown. When a murder occurs in the home of their friend and fellow patriot, John is accused and Abby must uncover a conspiracy that could cost them their freedom.

The Whiskey Rebel by David List

Ethan Saunders, a former spy for George Washington, is recruited by Alexander Hamilton to find his ex-fiancee's missing husband. Meanwhile, Joan Maycott and her veteran husband, amid hardship and deprivation on the western Pennsylvania frontier, find unlikely friendship and a chance for prosperity with a new method of distilling whiskey. The Maycotts' success however attracts the brutal attention of men in Hamilton's orbit, men who threaten to destroy all Joan holds dear. As their causes intertwine, Joan and Saunders--both patriots in their own way--find themselves on opposing sides of a daring scheme that will forever change their lives and their new country.

Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara

More than a powerful portrait of the people and purpose of the American Revolution, "Rise to Rebellion" is a fictionalized account of history's most pivotal events: The Boston Tea Party, the battle of Concord, and of Bunker Hill. The author of the bestselling "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure" reveals with new immediacy how philosophers became fighters and how a scattered group of colonies became the United States of America.

Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark

The role of the leader came naturally to George Washington, the first president of the United States, and the man revered as the father of his country. But when it came to the social aspects of life in the mid 18th century, he was both awkward and insecure, and finally it was only through the love of a woman that he found happiness.

The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

After the British establish a fort on the Penobscot River, the Massachusetts patriots--among them General Peleg Wadsworth and Colonel Paul Revere--mount an expedition to oust the redcoats.

Burr: A Novel by Gore Vidal

Burr is the opening volume in Gore Vidal's great fictional chronicle of American history, each of which is being republished in the Modern Library. Re-creates the American political scene of the early 1800s, seen through the memoirs of Aaron Burr.

The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith

Set in a small coastal town in North Carolina during the waning years of the American Revolution, this debut novel follows three generations of family--fathers and daughters, mother and son, master and slave, characters who yearn for redemption amidst a heady brew of war, kidnapping, slavery, and love.

Charleston by John Jakes

From the "New York Times" bestselling author who "makes history come brilliantly alive" ("The Washington Post Book World") comes a novel that spans decades and generations--from the American Revolution through the downfall of the Confederacy--in Jakes's most ambitious work yet.

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray

Tells the story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Tells not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal - but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.-- Provided by publisher.

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

A judge's daughter elopes with a white adventurer in Colonial America. Elizabeth arrived from England to marry a doctor but is smitten by Nathaniel, a man raised by the Mohawks. The doctor, however, refuses to give her up and pursues them.