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The Spy and the Seamstress
"I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."
Captain Nathan Hale, America's first spy, uttered these immortal words while staring at a hangman's noose in a leafy New York City park in September 1776.
When a patriot mob threatened to lynch her father, a staunch supporter of the British crown, Anne Wheaton tossed her needles and threads aside to become a soldier in her own right.
In The Spy and the Seamstress , Nathan and Anne must navigate duty and sacrifice, freedom and bondage, love and lust.
Their Revolutionary tale rollicks with action, suspense, and romance, while also probing deeper moral issues that still resonate in the twenty-first century.
The Spy and the Seamstress unearths centuries-old correspondence, diaries, and maps to portray this tumult in rich detail.
Dive into the churning cauldron of life in colonial America . Start reading The Spy and the Seamstress today.
Captain Nathan Hale, America's first spy, uttered these immortal words while staring at a hangman's noose in a leafy New York City park in September 1776.
When a patriot mob threatened to lynch her father, a staunch supporter of the British crown, Anne Wheaton tossed her needles and threads aside to become a soldier in her own right.
In The Spy and the Seamstress , Nathan and Anne must navigate duty and sacrifice, freedom and bondage, love and lust.
Their Revolutionary tale rollicks with action, suspense, and romance, while also probing deeper moral issues that still resonate in the twenty-first century.
The Spy and the Seamstress unearths centuries-old correspondence, diaries, and maps to portray this tumult in rich detail.
Dive into the churning cauldron of life in colonial America . Start reading The Spy and the Seamstress today.
512 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 29, 2023
What a rollercoaster of a ride... rollicking thru Revolutionary times in New England. Felt like I was there...totally emersed in the times. Had a hard time putting it down.
January 20, 2025
A historical but novel account of Nathan Hale. A long book for sure but well-written and told in 3 strains; the account from the Seamstress, Anne Wheaton; the account from Rogers; and the account from Nathan himself.
Certainly gives an interesting perspective of George Washington. Lots of details that people overlook and even may have forgotten.
Certainly gives an interesting perspective of George Washington. Lots of details that people overlook and even may have forgotten.
June 26, 2024
Read more like a history book than a historical fiction novel.
July 10, 2024
This book throws you into the heart of the American Revolution and makes you wonder how strongly you really would have stood on your principles when you knew your own survival was at stake. The story of Nathan Hale, showcased through grit and determination, has you pulling for his success. But it’s also the intertwining of Anne Wheaton’s story that draws you in, as you watch her turn from a girl into a woman when war comes marching her way. The decisions made along the way and the tragedies they both face put you on a rollercoaster of a ride that you somehow know can’t possibly end well…
September 6, 2024
Loved the characters and the clear level of research into the time period. Nathan Hale's story was something I was unfamiliar with and loved learning more about history intertwined with Anne's story! Overall loved the world the author created and recommend this read!
February 13, 2025
I found this to be a rather lengthy read, but worth it. Initially, I'll admit I wasn't so sure -- the setup with Hale being somewhat of a lusty schoolteacher who developed feelings (kind of out of nowhere) for Smith's OC, Anne Wheaton, was something that I felt pretty iffy about, but was still intrigued enough to continue. If you're assuming (like I did) that the "love and lust" in the description is about Hale and Anne's relationship, that never pans out. What they share in the beginning is pretty much it, because with the exception of a couple chance encounters at later points in the novel, these two never meet up again.
In terms of what saved the novel for me: I really enjoyed the little historical details, like oral hygiene, the fashion descriptions, and the POV from a seamstress' eye -- it's something I rarely see in histfic, which is honestly disappointing. I also loved that the POV alternated in between Hale, Anne, and Robert Rogers, Hale's eventual captor, because the POVs all eventually converge. Even though the beginning was kind of shaky, the last 50+ pages were really intense, and I found myself genuinely thinking maybe Hale could get out of his fate since there were quite a few "potential outs" that popped up. At one point, I was even sweating!
Getting into Hale's head (his POV was the only one in first person) really helped to make him feel more human, and not just like a tragic martyr, so I was a bit moved by the ending. I really loved the final conversation between Anne and her brother, Caleb, in particular. It was a beautiful tie-in to the whole story, and I really enjoyed this overall. If you don't mind a slowburn, I'd say this is definitely worth the read!
In terms of what saved the novel for me: I really enjoyed the little historical details, like oral hygiene, the fashion descriptions, and the POV from a seamstress' eye -- it's something I rarely see in histfic, which is honestly disappointing. I also loved that the POV alternated in between Hale, Anne, and Robert Rogers, Hale's eventual captor, because the POVs all eventually converge. Even though the beginning was kind of shaky, the last 50+ pages were really intense, and I found myself genuinely thinking maybe Hale could get out of his fate since there were quite a few "potential outs" that popped up. At one point, I was even sweating!
Getting into Hale's head (his POV was the only one in first person) really helped to make him feel more human, and not just like a tragic martyr, so I was a bit moved by the ending. I really loved the final conversation between Anne and her brother, Caleb, in particular. It was a beautiful tie-in to the whole story, and I really enjoyed this overall. If you don't mind a slowburn, I'd say this is definitely worth the read!
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March 15, 2026A Wealth of Historical Detail
I found this to be a well imagined and well researched novel of the period.I loved all the detail. I thought,however, that is dragged a bit I n places. There is so little written about Nathan Hale that I was hopeful and yet a little surprised to see his.sources listed at the end of the book. I was also pleased to see he has written several articles for historical magazines.
I found this to be a well imagined and well researched novel of the period.I loved all the detail. I thought,however, that is dragged a bit I n places. There is so little written about Nathan Hale that I was hopeful and yet a little surprised to see his.sources listed at the end of the book. I was also pleased to see he has written several articles for historical magazines.
February 20, 2025
This book tells the story of Nathan Hale in a special way. You travel to an amazing time in world history through the minds of two young people—Nathan and Anne Wheaton. Life is difficult and dangerous, with challenges on every page, but the book’s overarching theme is love, sacrifice and bravery—not loss and despair. A fitting tribute to an American hero.
December 28, 2024
This book is well-written and well-researched.
However, I hated being reminded about just how human our heroes were, and are.
Knowing the terrible ending did not help.
In the end, though, I persevered because their sacrifices should be remembered and
they mattered.
However, I hated being reminded about just how human our heroes were, and are.
Knowing the terrible ending did not help.
In the end, though, I persevered because their sacrifices should be remembered and
they mattered.
August 19, 2024
I enjoyed this book very much. Well written with a sense of humor, informative reference maps and one felt as if you were there during the American Revolution.
May 13, 2025
Currently: 2.5 rounded down - might change as I get further along, but the desire to eject on this title is growing.
Update 3Mar2025 - bailed on this title at around 50% (fairly, this RTO BS has severely cut down on my reading time, which is now occupied by a commute and has made me exponentially more grumpy).
The history is weak soup - limps along with a blandness, Hale's story isn't convincing & even the romance is lame (if that's why you signed up). I sense the author isn't a historian or really invested in the nooks & crannies of the period - it's superficial; containing research no deeper than a Wikipedia search. It's got that self-published, print-to-order vibe. All in - a bummer because Hale's a worthy topic.
...my original comments:
"...had talked with them both about reenlistment until my face turned red, white and blue." - Nathan Hale.
This might be the single most cheesy line I've ever read in what is supposed to be "good" historical fiction. I had to pause the book and contemplate just how dorky that line was & debated if I should continue or not. Patriotism didn't manifest itself by symbols at that point in our history. A good editor would have nixed that line.
Anyway...
I'm at 50% and still waiting for this slog to get out of 2nd gear. Every time it picks up - it slides back into tedium. A tighter edit would have done wonders. Another issue is the language - it periodically dips into modern speech and phrasing ("No worries" being especially glaring)...additionally, some of it is just factually goofy...at one point a ruffian tells Anne that her gun "safety" is on - on her pistol, a flintlock pistol with a "safety." How dumb. Did Smith mean to say “half cocked?” That would have made historical sense.
A gun safety wasn’t a thing then. This isn’t quality history. Ugh!
Smith has no flair for battle or how to move a plot along - relying on the old chestnut - overhearing/eavesdropping on a crucial bit of info needed to progress the story along (Hale at the tent of Princess just at the perfect time to hear her implicate herself)...or, having a fortuitous character like the humpback apple cart lady wondering into a courthouse bldg, obtain crucial info in a few moments to deliver to a waiting Rogers. There's nothing clever here. It's lousy historical fiction.
It's all dolled out at a snail's pace. Half the book to go and it's all just getting going. Hale isn't yet a spy. I'll finish it (probably), we'll see.
Update 3Mar2025 - bailed on this title at around 50% (fairly, this RTO BS has severely cut down on my reading time, which is now occupied by a commute and has made me exponentially more grumpy).
The history is weak soup - limps along with a blandness, Hale's story isn't convincing & even the romance is lame (if that's why you signed up). I sense the author isn't a historian or really invested in the nooks & crannies of the period - it's superficial; containing research no deeper than a Wikipedia search. It's got that self-published, print-to-order vibe. All in - a bummer because Hale's a worthy topic.
...my original comments:
"...had talked with them both about reenlistment until my face turned red, white and blue." - Nathan Hale.
This might be the single most cheesy line I've ever read in what is supposed to be "good" historical fiction. I had to pause the book and contemplate just how dorky that line was & debated if I should continue or not. Patriotism didn't manifest itself by symbols at that point in our history. A good editor would have nixed that line.
Anyway...
I'm at 50% and still waiting for this slog to get out of 2nd gear. Every time it picks up - it slides back into tedium. A tighter edit would have done wonders. Another issue is the language - it periodically dips into modern speech and phrasing ("No worries" being especially glaring)...additionally, some of it is just factually goofy...at one point a ruffian tells Anne that her gun "safety" is on - on her pistol, a flintlock pistol with a "safety." How dumb. Did Smith mean to say “half cocked?” That would have made historical sense.
A gun safety wasn’t a thing then. This isn’t quality history. Ugh!
Smith has no flair for battle or how to move a plot along - relying on the old chestnut - overhearing/eavesdropping on a crucial bit of info needed to progress the story along (Hale at the tent of Princess just at the perfect time to hear her implicate herself)...or, having a fortuitous character like the humpback apple cart lady wondering into a courthouse bldg, obtain crucial info in a few moments to deliver to a waiting Rogers. There's nothing clever here. It's lousy historical fiction.
It's all dolled out at a snail's pace. Half the book to go and it's all just getting going. Hale isn't yet a spy. I'll finish it (probably), we'll see.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews