This Time, Tempe Wick?

by Patricia Lee Gauch, Margot Tomes (Illustrator)

When ten thousand Revolutionary War soldiers spent the winters of 1780 and 1781 in Jockey Hollow, Tempe pitched right in to help feed and clothe them, and she kept right on helping even after her father died and her mother got sick. But mutiny was a different matter. Cold, tired, and unpaid, the Pennsylvania soldiers turned against their captains. A few of them even turned against the very farmers who had shared their wheat, their cows, and their clothing through the bitter winters. And when two of the soldiers tried to steal Tempe's beloved horse Bonny, Tempe got angry.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Patricia Lee Gauch is an author who has written over 30 works of children's literature. In 1993, Gauch was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. She has been a resident of the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Wayne Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the winter of 1780 to 1781, during the American Revolution, and Temperance Wick, known as Tempe, is a teenage girl living with her father and mother in Jockey Hollow near Morristown, NJ. When ten thousand Revolutionary War soldiers descend on Jockey Valley to camp, Tempe pitches right in to help feed and clothe them, and she keeps right on helping even after her father dies and her mother gets sick. However, a mutiny arises when the Pennsylvania soldiers, cold, tired, and unpaid, turn against their captains and even against the very farmers who had shared their wheat, their cows, and their clothing through the bitter winter.

In fact, two of the soldiers try to steal Tempe’s beloved horse Bonny. What will Tempe do? Author Patricia Lee Gauch wrote, “Tempe Wick was a real colonial girl….The legend, on which this story is based, has been widely shared since the days Tempe and her horse raced the Jockey Hollow roads. Many historians have regarded it as true.” A fun and interesting side note to a young person’s study of the American Revolution, the tale of Tempe illustrates bravery, persistence, and even wisdom in making the right choices. For those living in or visiting New Jersey, the Wick home still stands the way it did over 200 years ago, with tour guides dressed in period clothes as part of Jockey Hollow National Park.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky, funny, tall Tempe Wick was a real life girl in Revolutionary era New Jersey. Patricia Lee Gauch's upbeat tale about her spunk during the harsh times facing our nation brought a smile to my face. To be sure, much of my liking comes from the fact that the book's Jockey Hollow Morristown, New Jersey setting is a place I have visited. My dear old Dad grew up in nearby Morris Plains so I do feel a certain allegiance with the area where he spent his boyhood years.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

gr 3-5 ?

American Revolution NJ