Recently I was listening to an audio performance of one of the Dear America series. This is a series of books for young readers to introduce them to History through a fictional character. This one was about the war of 1776. (*Note, I cannot find which one it is but the links are to other books in the series about the Revolutionary War.)
The book is narrated through the eyes of a young girl who was a Patriot. But she and her family lived in New York while it was being occupied by the British. Her family was forced to house a British Officer and his servant and tried to keep their true feelings under wraps due to the situation they found themselves in. She ended up working as one of Washington’s spies and in this fictional story was pivotal in uncovering Benedict Arnold’s treachery. I’ve ruined the book for you? You don’t want to read it now? Sorry.
While I’ve always loved reading about the Revolutionary War, what I feel this book did a really good job of doing, was presenting the mental struggles that these people had to be going through and the consequences of the choices they made.
Having a British Officer in their home, a face, story, and person were put to the Loyalists. He wasn’t just some bad guy. He was someone who was educated, talked, laughed with them and entertained them with music. Yet he was the enemy.
Trying to maintain the hate, the dehumanization of the Loyalists was difficult in that situation. It became difficult to understand where the lines were. Just like in life, sometimes it’s hard to see the lines anymore. It’s hard to understand always exactly what God would have us do.
So often we think things are black and white, the good guys and the bad guys, but I have found that life is so often isn’t that way. There are varying degrees of white and black on the continuum. We are often left to choose between paths, paths that are similar shades of white.
The War of 1776 could have easily and almost did, end on the side of the British. Luckily, great men and women could choose between the shades and fight for the best. It wasn’t easy and they didn’t always make the right decisions but they made enough right decisions to reach their end result. It didn’t mean that they didn’t have to sacrifice everything as God frequently asks of us. It didn’t mean life was going to be perfect. It did mean that they could make something new, something better and that is what God is really good at giving his children.
I love the American Girl series. Thanks for sharing on the #LMMLinkup. I think the books are great at character building and help girls learn real history.
Thank you for reading.
Hmmm…I might have to check this one out!
Thanks for sharing!
– Lisa
Thanks for reading.
Very interesting, I enjoy history. I lived in Atlanta and I was able to recently read a 12yr olds journal, of what took place about four blocks from my house in 1861. Happy 4th.
How fun to read something like that when you live so close! I used to live in DC and loved when I found books that had places there central to the book. I felt like I had an insiders scoop.