Synopses & Reviews
With the outbreak of the American Revolution, Abigail Lovell's family is torn apart--while her schoolmaster father is an outspoken loyalist, she and her two brothers engage in acts of espionage to undermine the British in Boston. Her sickly older brother, James, operates the patriots' spy ring. Abigail acts as a courier, eluding increasingly aggressive British patrols and her younger brother, Benjamin, slips out of Boston to fight alongside Abigail's love, Ezra, in the battles at Lexington and Concord. With the help of her friend, Rachel Revere, Abigail smuggles money and supplies out to her brother, Ezra and Rachel's brother, Paul.
But when a British sergeant is found murdered, Abigail stands accused and, in possession of valuable intercepted information, she now must fight to save herself and those she loves. In the tradition of Rose and Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Schoolmaster's Daughter is the story of a family torn asunder and a determined young woman who makes courageous sacrifices for her country.
Review
"John Smolens has written a historical novel with the quick-beating heart of a thriller. Written in crisp, cinematic prose, the novel has echoes of the best noir." Dan Chaon, author of Await Your Reply
Review
"A fine writer with a profound knowledge of human behavior gone awry." Jim Harrison, author of Legends of the Fall
Review
"Smolens has written an intelligent, first-rate thriller, as though Sinclair Lewis was fused with Alan Furst." Tom Bissell, author of The Father of All Things
Synopsis
From the critically acclaimed author of and --an astonishing historical novel set during the American Revolution.
Synopsis
From the author of The Anarchist and Cold-a gripping historical novel set during the American Revolution. With the outbreak of the American revolution, Abigail Lovell's family is torn apart-while her schoolmaster father is an outspoken loyalist and prominent figurehead in the community, she and her two brothers engage in acts of espionage to undermine the British forces in Boston. Her sickly older brother, James, operates the patriots' spy ring while Abigail acts as a courier, eluding increasingly aggressive British patrols. Meanwhile, her younger brother, Benjamin, slips out of Boston to fight alongside Abigail's love, Ezra, in the battles at Lexington and Concord. With the help of her friend, Rachel revere, Abigail smuggles money and supplies out to Benjamin, Ezra, and other revolutionaries. But when a British sergeant is found murdered, Abigail stands accused, and she now must fight to save herself and those she loves. in the tradition of Sally Gunning's Bound and Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone, The Schoolmaster's Daughter is the story of a family torn asunder-and of a determined young woman who must make courageous decisions if she is to aid in liberating her country.
About the Author
John Smolens is author of Cold, The Invisible World, Fire Point, and The Anarchist. He received his MFA from the University of Iowa in 1984 and is currently head of the MFA program at Northern Michigan University. His novel The Schoolmaster's Daughter will be published by Pegasus Books in paperback in September, 2012. You can visit his site at&