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American Girl Mysteries
Traitor in Williamsburg: A Felicity Mystery
Felicity Merriman is alarmed when mysterious notices appear in Williamsburg, falsely accusing her friend Fiona's father of helping th British. With the Revolution heating up, Felicity knows the accusations will bring danger to Fiona's family. Then Felicity's own father is accused of being a traitor, too, and she decides she has to find out who's making the terrible accusations!
Set in 1776.
Set in 1776.
179 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
18 people are currently reading
562 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth McDavid Jones
25 books27 followersElizabeth McDavid Jones was born in 1958 in South Carolina. When she was a child, she moved in Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from East Carolina University and started a career in social work. When Jones earned a master's degree in literature in 1996, she changed her career to a university literature. During this period, she began writing children's books. She is a mother of four children.
She is the author of nine books and many magazine and serial stories for young people. Her books have sold over 750,000 copies. She is particularly known for her work writing with American Girl.
She is the author of nine books and many magazine and serial stories for young people. Her books have sold over 750,000 copies. She is particularly known for her work writing with American Girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 21, 2024
The American Girl marathon continues. Reading for the first time as an adult.
The beginning of this one felt actually scary to me – mobs dragging someone out of his home, the threat of people getting tarred and feathered, the worry that Father might be similarly targeted. Oddly, I felt less worried about Father once he was safely (??!) in jail for a bit.
So many AG mysteries introduce new characters who are really more central to the mystery than our girl is. In this one, it looks for a moment like that's happening, but as the focus of the mischief shifts from Mr. McLeod to Mr. Merriman, it really does become Felicity's problem.
The majority of the plot is Felicity trying to find something that will unmask the anonymous writer who is making accusations about Mr. Merriman and prove Father’s innocence. Elizabeth McDavid Jones keeps the plot ticking along nicely – enough twists and developments to stay interesting, but Felicity and her friends also make steady progress in their search.
Several suspects show up pretty quickly. I’d quibble that the culprit is a little more obvious than I’d prefer – though the more subtle suspect I had my eye on does turn out to be an accomplice. Overall, I found it satisfying and didn’t want to put it down in the middle. Between this one and Peril at King’s Creek – both revolving around war secrets, both by Jones – I’d recommend this one, hands down.
Favorite side character award goes to Widow Reed, who owns her own print shop and encourages Felicity and Elizabeth. I’ll take a book about her, please.
More Felicity babble
Meet Felicity | Felicity Learns a Lesson | Felicity’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Felicity | Felicity Saves the Day | Changes for Felicity
Very Funny, Elizabeth
Felicity’s New Sister | Felicity’s Dancing Shoes | Felicity Takes a Dare | Felicity Discovers a Secret | Felicity’s Short Story Collection
Peril at King’s Creek | Traitor in Williamsburg | Lady Margaret’s Ghost
The beginning of this one felt actually scary to me – mobs dragging someone out of his home, the threat of people getting tarred and feathered, the worry that Father might be similarly targeted. Oddly, I felt less worried about Father once he was safely (??!) in jail for a bit.
So many AG mysteries introduce new characters who are really more central to the mystery than our girl is. In this one, it looks for a moment like that's happening, but as the focus of the mischief shifts from Mr. McLeod to Mr. Merriman, it really does become Felicity's problem.
The majority of the plot is Felicity trying to find something that will unmask the anonymous writer who is making accusations about Mr. Merriman and prove Father’s innocence. Elizabeth McDavid Jones keeps the plot ticking along nicely – enough twists and developments to stay interesting, but Felicity and her friends also make steady progress in their search.
Several suspects show up pretty quickly. I’d quibble that the culprit is a little more obvious than I’d prefer – though the more subtle suspect I had my eye on does turn out to be an accomplice. Overall, I found it satisfying and didn’t want to put it down in the middle. Between this one and Peril at King’s Creek – both revolving around war secrets, both by Jones – I’d recommend this one, hands down.
Favorite side character award goes to Widow Reed, who owns her own print shop and encourages Felicity and Elizabeth. I’ll take a book about her, please.
More Felicity babble
Meet Felicity | Felicity Learns a Lesson | Felicity’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Felicity | Felicity Saves the Day | Changes for Felicity
Very Funny, Elizabeth
Felicity’s New Sister | Felicity’s Dancing Shoes | Felicity Takes a Dare | Felicity Discovers a Secret | Felicity’s Short Story Collection
Peril at King’s Creek | Traitor in Williamsburg | Lady Margaret’s Ghost
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February 4, 2024I’ve put a finger on why the American girl mysteries don’t hit as hard as their 6 book canon—I think all the magic goes away when you don’t have those mini illustrations every few pages that show the historical objects and figures the girls are referring to. Thus concludes my scientific study.
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November 6, 2024the felicity series is like no we will not discuss slavery but we WILL discuss anti-scottish sentiment
January 10, 2022
This is the best Felicity mystery, in my opinion. It is very suspenseful, and I honestly found it scarier as an adult. In 2008, it was easy to imagine that this kind of mob mentality was a thing of the past, but the book's glimpse into political unrest, extreme accusations, and the cost of public shaming is relevant to current times. I appreciate how realistic the book is, and how well it portrays different people's reactions to false accusations.
Because this book has very high stakes, it is one of the most suspenseful and gripping American Girl mysteries. It also requires some suspension of disbelief, since Felicity and Elizabeth get so involved in unsupervised investigation, but they do involve Ben and another apprentice in some of their mystery-solving, so they aren't doing this completely alone.
The mystery also involves multiple plausible suspects and well-paced twists and turns. My only real critique is the continued lack of acknowledgement regarding slavery, even though this book does directly refer to Marcus, a helper at Mr. Merriman's store, as a slave. The book at least uses the word and acknowledges this fact directly, but I wish that the Felicity books involved her becoming increasingly aware of the injustice around her in daily life, since she is such a justice-oriented child.
Because this book has very high stakes, it is one of the most suspenseful and gripping American Girl mysteries. It also requires some suspension of disbelief, since Felicity and Elizabeth get so involved in unsupervised investigation, but they do involve Ben and another apprentice in some of their mystery-solving, so they aren't doing this completely alone.
The mystery also involves multiple plausible suspects and well-paced twists and turns. My only real critique is the continued lack of acknowledgement regarding slavery, even though this book does directly refer to Marcus, a helper at Mr. Merriman's store, as a slave. The book at least uses the word and acknowledges this fact directly, but I wish that the Felicity books involved her becoming increasingly aware of the injustice around her in daily life, since she is such a justice-oriented child.
July 16, 2022
Excellent it was very suspenseful I felt like the character in the story it captured what it would have been like to live in a war-torn country during the 18th century I’m not a much of a historical fiction fan, but this book captured it all I was in love with the backdrop at the end of the book and the plot itself is stunning.
April 30, 2022
If you’re like me, an adult revisiting a character you cherished in childhood, this is just the right amount intriguing and comforting.
October 8, 2018
This was a fun story full of mystery and trouble for Felicity and her family. The characters remained "in character" and it was interesting to learn about the "committee for safety" during the start of the American Revolution.
This was not a "Christian" book, but there was nothing objectionable in it.
This was not a "Christian" book, but there was nothing objectionable in it.
July 20, 2018
A Book That Teaches the Importance of Having Hope
August 16, 2020
I read this book for the podcast I’m currently listening to called “American Girls” by Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney.
Wow, what a complete turnaround from the last Felicity mystery I read. Although, for some reason, for the first time ever, we’ve backtracked into Felicity’s timeline and I don’t know why??? But, despite that, I absolutely loved “Traitor In Williamsburg”. Throughout the entire book, I was enthralled with what was going on, how the situation with Felicity’s father was going improve, what Felicity was going to do, and who was behind it all. It actually took me to page like, 70 - something to realize who the real traitor was so, although this is a children’s book series, this book did do a good job leading you to multiple different suspects and inquiring who was the actual criminal. Felicity also has really grown significantly from the first book I read about her to now. Still, she is doing stuff she probably shouldn’t be doing (like running around at night alone), but Felicity had to take a very serious, grown up role in this book, helping her family when her father has been jailed. She did a very good job in protecting her father’s innocence, while also handling her family in whatever needs they had.
Like all Felicity books, I obviously did not appreciate nor like the racism/enslavement in this book just like I’ve had a problem with for the entirety of the series. I feel like as the series progresses, the enslavement just gets worse and worse with what the character do towards them. I don’t know why? Yet again, I encourage parents who might be reading this series with their kids or know that their kids are a fan of these books that they have open and honest conversations with their kids about our country’s history and how we shouldn’t treat people differently just because they might look different from us... I can’t believe these are things in the Felicity series, yet again, that the author (not Valerie Tripp surprisingly this time, but another!!!), Elizabeth McDavid Jones, just chooses to ignore and encourage?
Wow, what a complete turnaround from the last Felicity mystery I read. Although, for some reason, for the first time ever, we’ve backtracked into Felicity’s timeline and I don’t know why??? But, despite that, I absolutely loved “Traitor In Williamsburg”. Throughout the entire book, I was enthralled with what was going on, how the situation with Felicity’s father was going improve, what Felicity was going to do, and who was behind it all. It actually took me to page like, 70 - something to realize who the real traitor was so, although this is a children’s book series, this book did do a good job leading you to multiple different suspects and inquiring who was the actual criminal. Felicity also has really grown significantly from the first book I read about her to now. Still, she is doing stuff she probably shouldn’t be doing (like running around at night alone), but Felicity had to take a very serious, grown up role in this book, helping her family when her father has been jailed. She did a very good job in protecting her father’s innocence, while also handling her family in whatever needs they had.
Like all Felicity books, I obviously did not appreciate nor like the racism/enslavement in this book just like I’ve had a problem with for the entirety of the series. I feel like as the series progresses, the enslavement just gets worse and worse with what the character do towards them. I don’t know why? Yet again, I encourage parents who might be reading this series with their kids or know that their kids are a fan of these books that they have open and honest conversations with their kids about our country’s history and how we shouldn’t treat people differently just because they might look different from us... I can’t believe these are things in the Felicity series, yet again, that the author (not Valerie Tripp surprisingly this time, but another!!!), Elizabeth McDavid Jones, just chooses to ignore and encourage?
June 13, 2021
This is part of the American Girl series of books and follows Felicity Merriman as she tries to clear her father’s name. I would recommend reading at least Meet Felicity (the first book) to have an idea of who all the characters are before checking out this book.
Felicity is living in 1776 Williamsburg, Virginia. Tensions are high between Loyalist (those who want to stay a British Colony) and Patriots (those who want independence). A shopkeeper gets accused of being a Loyalist and must go before the Committee of Safety; Felicity’s father defends him and then finds himself also being accused. Felicity and her best-friend Elizabeth decide to figure out who is behind the accusations and free Felicity’s father.
What I liked: I love how American Girl books make history interesting and you get a sense of what it was like to live in that period through the eyes of a young girl. In this book, we get a taste of the beginnings of the American Revolution. Growing up in Virginia, in school we spent a lot of time on this part of history, but I loved that the book gave you more of a sense of how torn the colonist were and how high tensions were running. Elizabeth’s family are Loyalist while Felicity’s are Patriots, so kids get an age-appropriate lesson in friendships across political spectrums.
What didn’t work for me: I think the resolution was a little weak; the book wraps everything up neatly in a chapter. But I think younger kids will appreciate Felicity being the hero and the one to find the needed evidence.
This is recommended for kids 9 and up. Unlike other books in the series, there are no illustrations so I think this is a good recommendation as younger kids could be bored (or potentially scared).
Parents note: Felicity’s father and his friend are both arrested, mild danger to Felicity and her friends, and there is a discussion on tarring and feathering people.
Overall, I found this book interesting and love the historical notes at the end that relate it back to real life events.
Felicity is living in 1776 Williamsburg, Virginia. Tensions are high between Loyalist (those who want to stay a British Colony) and Patriots (those who want independence). A shopkeeper gets accused of being a Loyalist and must go before the Committee of Safety; Felicity’s father defends him and then finds himself also being accused. Felicity and her best-friend Elizabeth decide to figure out who is behind the accusations and free Felicity’s father.
What I liked: I love how American Girl books make history interesting and you get a sense of what it was like to live in that period through the eyes of a young girl. In this book, we get a taste of the beginnings of the American Revolution. Growing up in Virginia, in school we spent a lot of time on this part of history, but I loved that the book gave you more of a sense of how torn the colonist were and how high tensions were running. Elizabeth’s family are Loyalist while Felicity’s are Patriots, so kids get an age-appropriate lesson in friendships across political spectrums.
What didn’t work for me: I think the resolution was a little weak; the book wraps everything up neatly in a chapter. But I think younger kids will appreciate Felicity being the hero and the one to find the needed evidence.
This is recommended for kids 9 and up. Unlike other books in the series, there are no illustrations so I think this is a good recommendation as younger kids could be bored (or potentially scared).
Parents note: Felicity’s father and his friend are both arrested, mild danger to Felicity and her friends, and there is a discussion on tarring and feathering people.
Overall, I found this book interesting and love the historical notes at the end that relate it back to real life events.
February 23, 2024
This one was a little dark and scary in places my goodness, Felicity was incredibly brave the whole time and even though the story didn’t directly say it, she was having anxiety attacks at all the stressful and scary things going on. I felt so sad for her struggling like that, but it didn’t stop or waver her determination to get to the bottom of everything.
I did personally solve the mystery from chapter two, it was so obvious to me what exactly was going on, though it took Felicity an awful lot longer to solve it, it was just apparent. I did like though the discovering of everything that was actually happening and how brave she was to stand up against the person in such a huge way.
The story was really sad, her friend Fiona’s dad got targeted first and it pushed him away from Williamsburg, then Felicity’s father becoming the next target when he’d done nothing to deserve it other than help that other man. It was so sad no one knew what they could do to fix it in any way, until Felicity and Elizabeth figured it all out.
I did personally solve the mystery from chapter two, it was so obvious to me what exactly was going on, though it took Felicity an awful lot longer to solve it, it was just apparent. I did like though the discovering of everything that was actually happening and how brave she was to stand up against the person in such a huge way.
The story was really sad, her friend Fiona’s dad got targeted first and it pushed him away from Williamsburg, then Felicity’s father becoming the next target when he’d done nothing to deserve it other than help that other man. It was so sad no one knew what they could do to fix it in any way, until Felicity and Elizabeth figured it all out.
January 5, 2025
This was my son's next choice for a read aloud book. It was very good. It's a bit darker than the OG American Girl series (ex: thread of a character being tarred and feathered), but it's historically what could have happened. I also read this book after recently discovering I had an ancestor in my family tree who was on a Committee of Safety during the Revolutionary War and suddenly I see that same term in this book, so that was cool! I'm still annoyed that the Felicity books gloss over the fact that her family owns slaves. I'm also annoyed that part of the book centers on some financial struggles at the store, but neglects to include anything about the planation Mother inherited from Grandfather about 3 months prior (from the last Felicity book) and Grandfather had been pretty wealthy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2017
Felicity and her friend Elizabeth set out to discover who in Williamsburg has falsely accused Fiona's father of helping the British. Then Felicity's father is accused, too!
I appreciated the "The Looking Back: A Peek into the Past," which gave historical credibility to the story.
I appreciated the "The Looking Back: A Peek into the Past," which gave historical credibility to the story.
July 22, 2019
Out of the mysteries we’ve read so far this was my favorite. As always though I’m frustrated that she didn’t involve another adult. I mean how awful was father’s lawyer to not have pursued what Felicity did to help his client. 🙄 But makes for a fun, albeit unrealistic story.
January 19, 2022
I had read this book out of curiosity. I enjoyed reading this book because of the mystery and the drama. I loved that the story dealt with the importance of having hope and faith. I thought the novel was well written. It is a must read.
April 23, 2024
It’s a cute cozy middle grade mystery. Felicity and Elizabeth, with the help of some friends, find out who ran Fiona’s family out of town and tried to frame Felicity’s father for helping the Loyalists
April 17, 2025
It was lovely to return to the story of a beloved childhood character with a book I'd never read. The descriptions warmed my heart, especially the last paragraphs and glimpses into everyday life sort of things, and I will always love Felicity.
May 10, 2017
I thought it was really good because it was surprising at times which made me more interested in it.
May 21, 2020
Great mystery!
June 27, 2021
I didn't like this one quite as much as the other mysteries, but I can't put my finger on why.
February 4, 2024
I'm glad Felicity and Elizabeth figured things out! I think the mob mentality was pretty scary back then!!
April 5, 2024
Book kept my interest. Had to read to figure who was the traitor.
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June 26, 2024I wasn't a huge fan of the original series, but this mystery wasn't half bad. They actually acknowledge slaves, which the original series failed to talk about.
October 27, 2025
I liked this book for the serous tones and secrets. I wish Fiona wasn’t just a one off character, randomly thrown into this story, but besides that, it was good.
December 11, 2025
I admit i wasn't the biggest fan of Felicity at the priper age for this series but I do love fiction set in this time period
December 31, 2011
felicity's friend fiona is bumming hard because someone has published broadsides accusing her father of being a traitor to the patriot cause & has hung them all over williamsburg. he has been called in front of the committee of safety to answer to the charges. felicity is well aware that a person found guilty of being a royal loyalist may be forced to leave the colony, because that's exactly what happened to her friend elizabeth's father. felicity tries to tell fiona not to worry, that everyone knows her father is a patriot, but fiona explains that their scottish background could work against them. many scottish people are loyalists & some people think that ALL scottish people are loyalists.
when the girls get to felicity's house, fiona's father is there, asking mr. merriman to testify on his behalf in front of the committee. mr. merriman agrees & fiona's father points out that mr. merriman may be jeopardizing himself by throwing his lot in with someone accused to british sympathies. felicity becomes concerned for her father.
as it transpires, mr. merriman does find himself in jeopardy for helping fiona's father. one night, the townspeople parade through williamsburg with fiona's father stuffed inside a cart, intending to tar & feather him. mr. merriman stops them & the next day, fiona's family leaves the colony.
& soon after, broadsides appear accusing mr. merriman of being a traitor.
there are suspects: one of the local printers (since someone must be printing the broadsides). he buys fiona's family's house after they leave & is hurting for money because his wife is ill. felicity suspects that he is being paid, perhaps by the british, to sow dissension among the patriots of williamsburg. another is a new wealthy man in town who apparently once courted mrs. merriman. felicity wonders if he is trying to smear her father's good name in order to lure mrs. merriman back to him or get back at mr. merriman for marrying her. & the last suspect is a fellow shopkeeper who is actually on the committee of safety. his shop isn't doing well & felicity wonders if he is trying to drive the competition out of business.
felicity & elizabeth hatch a rather complicated plot to force the culprit to reveal his face to them. they are pretty convinced that it's the printer guy, but it's in fact the committee of safety guy. & what's more, mr. merriman has been brought up on charges of being a traitor to the patriots after receipts are discovered in his shop indicating that he sold munitions to the british. can i just say that in the midst of the revolutionary war, that is a pretty serious charge? i have a hard time imagining someone selling weapons to the british just because they're hurting for cash. anyway, felicity knows her father is innocent; she just struggles to figure out how he was framed.
then it all comes together. in a realization. i will say that these mystery books really aren't that bad (especially compared to, say, the babysitters club mystery series), but it does bother me when characters in mysteries suddenly "realize" the solution to the mystery, piecing together information that the reader didn't really have access to. felicity "realizes" that the real culprit is the committee dude, & that he has been the one selling weapons to the british to supplement the paltry profits from his shop. his nephew is apprenticing with the printer felicity suspected & was paid to make the broadsides. the committee dude's goal was to put the other shopkeepers out of business & steal all their customers, & he opted to frame mr. merriman using doctored receipts of his own traitorous dealings with the british.
seems like an awful lot of work, no? when i frame my enemies, i generally try not to use anything that could come back & implicate me in more significant evil-doing, but i guess that's why i have never starred as the malefactor in a children's mystery series. felicity gets her mitts on the other receipts that prove the committee dude has been working with the british (she is buds with his shop boy, who lets her in to search the place), clears her father's name, & everyone lived happily ever after. aside from that whole pesky "revolutionary war" thing.
apparently felicity's family owns slaves. perhaps this is historically accurate for a well-to-do white family living in colonial virginia during revolutionary times, & if so, kudos to american girl for not sanitizing the character. but it's still weird to read.
when the girls get to felicity's house, fiona's father is there, asking mr. merriman to testify on his behalf in front of the committee. mr. merriman agrees & fiona's father points out that mr. merriman may be jeopardizing himself by throwing his lot in with someone accused to british sympathies. felicity becomes concerned for her father.
as it transpires, mr. merriman does find himself in jeopardy for helping fiona's father. one night, the townspeople parade through williamsburg with fiona's father stuffed inside a cart, intending to tar & feather him. mr. merriman stops them & the next day, fiona's family leaves the colony.
& soon after, broadsides appear accusing mr. merriman of being a traitor.
there are suspects: one of the local printers (since someone must be printing the broadsides). he buys fiona's family's house after they leave & is hurting for money because his wife is ill. felicity suspects that he is being paid, perhaps by the british, to sow dissension among the patriots of williamsburg. another is a new wealthy man in town who apparently once courted mrs. merriman. felicity wonders if he is trying to smear her father's good name in order to lure mrs. merriman back to him or get back at mr. merriman for marrying her. & the last suspect is a fellow shopkeeper who is actually on the committee of safety. his shop isn't doing well & felicity wonders if he is trying to drive the competition out of business.
felicity & elizabeth hatch a rather complicated plot to force the culprit to reveal his face to them. they are pretty convinced that it's the printer guy, but it's in fact the committee of safety guy. & what's more, mr. merriman has been brought up on charges of being a traitor to the patriots after receipts are discovered in his shop indicating that he sold munitions to the british. can i just say that in the midst of the revolutionary war, that is a pretty serious charge? i have a hard time imagining someone selling weapons to the british just because they're hurting for cash. anyway, felicity knows her father is innocent; she just struggles to figure out how he was framed.
then it all comes together. in a realization. i will say that these mystery books really aren't that bad (especially compared to, say, the babysitters club mystery series), but it does bother me when characters in mysteries suddenly "realize" the solution to the mystery, piecing together information that the reader didn't really have access to. felicity "realizes" that the real culprit is the committee dude, & that he has been the one selling weapons to the british to supplement the paltry profits from his shop. his nephew is apprenticing with the printer felicity suspected & was paid to make the broadsides. the committee dude's goal was to put the other shopkeepers out of business & steal all their customers, & he opted to frame mr. merriman using doctored receipts of his own traitorous dealings with the british.
seems like an awful lot of work, no? when i frame my enemies, i generally try not to use anything that could come back & implicate me in more significant evil-doing, but i guess that's why i have never starred as the malefactor in a children's mystery series. felicity gets her mitts on the other receipts that prove the committee dude has been working with the british (she is buds with his shop boy, who lets her in to search the place), clears her father's name, & everyone lived happily ever after. aside from that whole pesky "revolutionary war" thing.
apparently felicity's family owns slaves. perhaps this is historically accurate for a well-to-do white family living in colonial virginia during revolutionary times, & if so, kudos to american girl for not sanitizing the character. but it's still weird to read.
June 23, 2023
I am continuing my re-read of Felicity's books, one of my favorite series from childhood, while I listen to the American Girls podcast. I did actually own and read all of Felicity's Mystery books as a tween, but apparently I didn't find them that interesting because I don't remember a thing about any of them.
This story is set in Spring 1776, a few months after the conclusion of Changes for Felicity. Now that the American Revolution is underway, pro-Patriot sentiment is running high in the city of Williamsburg. As a result, any citizens perceived as foreign are subject to accusations of being undercover Loyalists by their fellow townspeople. Felicity and Elizabeth witness this first hand when their Scottish friend Fiona's father, Fergus McLeod, is accused of being a Loyalist traitor. The accusations come via an anonymous broadside printed under the pseudonym Mr. Puller. When Felicity's father decides to publicly defend Mr. McLeod's character, Mr. Puller publishes a broadside accusing Mr. Merriman of secretly selling supplies to the British army. With the Merriman family's livelihood and Father's safety in danger, Felicity and Elizabeth must uncover Mr. Puller's real identity and prove Mr. Merriman's innocence.
Overall I thought that this was an enjoyable story with a fairly good mystery, although not particularly memorable. The American Girl Historical Character Mystery books were written for a slightly older age group than the Historical Character Central Series, and I felt that that shift to an older audience really showed in this book and improved it. The entire story had a much more suspenseful and serious atmosphere than any of Felicity's core books, which I found interesting. The graveyard scene depicted on the cover was particularly well done and felt like something out of a YA Adventure book. My only real criticism of the book is that I thought that the "political intrigue" theme of the mystery was a little boring and would be a hard sell for the target audience of 9-12 year old girls, even if it is relevant to Felicity's time period.
Also, just as a random side note - at first I side-eyed the inclusion of Felicity and Elizabeth's friend Fiona, as this character is not in Felicity's core books and it always bothers me when a sequel adds a random new character and expects me to believe they have been around all along. However, when I thought about it more, I realized Felicity's world in her Central Series is weirdly devoid of other children. Aside from a few nameless boys in the short story Felicity Takes a Dare, Felicity actually does not interact with any children other than her siblings or Elizabeth at any point in her books. For that reason, I can understand the necessity of introducing a completely new character to give the impression that Felicity and Elizabeth actually know other children.
This story is set in Spring 1776, a few months after the conclusion of Changes for Felicity. Now that the American Revolution is underway, pro-Patriot sentiment is running high in the city of Williamsburg. As a result, any citizens perceived as foreign are subject to accusations of being undercover Loyalists by their fellow townspeople. Felicity and Elizabeth witness this first hand when their Scottish friend Fiona's father, Fergus McLeod, is accused of being a Loyalist traitor. The accusations come via an anonymous broadside printed under the pseudonym Mr. Puller. When Felicity's father decides to publicly defend Mr. McLeod's character, Mr. Puller publishes a broadside accusing Mr. Merriman of secretly selling supplies to the British army. With the Merriman family's livelihood and Father's safety in danger, Felicity and Elizabeth must uncover Mr. Puller's real identity and prove Mr. Merriman's innocence.
Overall I thought that this was an enjoyable story with a fairly good mystery, although not particularly memorable. The American Girl Historical Character Mystery books were written for a slightly older age group than the Historical Character Central Series, and I felt that that shift to an older audience really showed in this book and improved it. The entire story had a much more suspenseful and serious atmosphere than any of Felicity's core books, which I found interesting. The graveyard scene depicted on the cover was particularly well done and felt like something out of a YA Adventure book. My only real criticism of the book is that I thought that the "political intrigue" theme of the mystery was a little boring and would be a hard sell for the target audience of 9-12 year old girls, even if it is relevant to Felicity's time period.
Also, just as a random side note - at first I side-eyed the inclusion of Felicity and Elizabeth's friend Fiona, as this character is not in Felicity's core books and it always bothers me when a sequel adds a random new character and expects me to believe they have been around all along. However, when I thought about it more, I realized Felicity's world in her Central Series is weirdly devoid of other children. Aside from a few nameless boys in the short story Felicity Takes a Dare, Felicity actually does not interact with any children other than her siblings or Elizabeth at any point in her books. For that reason, I can understand the necessity of introducing a completely new character to give the impression that Felicity and Elizabeth actually know other children.
June 1, 2010
It is April 1776 in Williamsburg, Virginia, where eleven-year-old Felicity Merriman lives with her family. It is shortly after the beginning of the American Revolution, and with the royal governor having fled Williamsburg, the town is now ruled by the Committee of Safety, a group of Patriots who try to identify those with Loyalist sympathies who may be aiding the British. But the anti-Loyalist sentiments are causing some innocent men to be accused as well, such as the father of Felicity‘s friend Fiona McLeod. Mr. McLeod is innocent, but fearing for his family’s safety, he decides they must all leave Williamsburg.
Felicity’s sadness over missing her friend is soon replaced by worry for her father when the same mysterious man who accused Fiona’s father accuses Felicity’s own father, a known Patriot, of being a traitor. With the help of her best friend, Elizabeth, and her father’s apprentice, Ben, Felicity must find out the identity of the mysterious accuser so that she can clear her father’s name.
Traitor in Williamsburg is a book that is sure to be enjoyed by young girls who enjoy historical fiction. The characters are likeable and the story teaches many historical facts. As a young girl I loved the American Girl books and Felicity was one of my favorite characters because I always have loved books set in colonial America, so I still enjoyed this book even if I am way too old for it now! Because this book and the other American Girl Mysteries are longer than the original American Girl books, the series will especially be enjoyed by readers who loved the American Girl books and characters but who are beginning to move on to longer books. However the book also works fine as a standalone and it is not necessary to have read previous books about Felicity to enjoy the story.
Felicity’s sadness over missing her friend is soon replaced by worry for her father when the same mysterious man who accused Fiona’s father accuses Felicity’s own father, a known Patriot, of being a traitor. With the help of her best friend, Elizabeth, and her father’s apprentice, Ben, Felicity must find out the identity of the mysterious accuser so that she can clear her father’s name.
Traitor in Williamsburg is a book that is sure to be enjoyed by young girls who enjoy historical fiction. The characters are likeable and the story teaches many historical facts. As a young girl I loved the American Girl books and Felicity was one of my favorite characters because I always have loved books set in colonial America, so I still enjoyed this book even if I am way too old for it now! Because this book and the other American Girl Mysteries are longer than the original American Girl books, the series will especially be enjoyed by readers who loved the American Girl books and characters but who are beginning to move on to longer books. However the book also works fine as a standalone and it is not necessary to have read previous books about Felicity to enjoy the story.
June 18, 2012
Felicity is alarmed when mysterious notices appear in Williamsburg, falsely accusing her friend Fiona's father of helping the British. With the Revelution heating up, Felicity knows that the accusations will bring danger to Fiona's family. Then Felicity's father is accused of being a traitor too, and Felicity decides that she has to find out who's making the terrible accusations!
Gotta love a good mystery! I've read this a couple times and enjoyed it both times.
I read it once when it was fairly new and then earlier this month I read it because I couldn't remember if I'd read it or not so enjoyed it both times quite a bit. Don't know what I'll do if I run out of American Girl stories to read.
This one keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to see what's going to happen next.
Gotta love a good mystery! I've read this a couple times and enjoyed it both times.
I read it once when it was fairly new and then earlier this month I read it because I couldn't remember if I'd read it or not so enjoyed it both times quite a bit. Don't know what I'll do if I run out of American Girl stories to read.
This one keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to see what's going to happen next.
November 22, 2016
The British Revolution was just starting. Accusations are going around and worrying families. Who would do this? Even the most obvious patriots are being accused of pretending. The main character, Felicity, is going to help her neighbors.
I think Felicity changed the most. In the beginning she is confused about the accusations and worried someone will get hurt. She was kinda hide in the shadows and in the end she had kicked it up and trys to help. But she learns life isn't always easy.
I like the mystery and it is pretty fast moving. I don't like how they accuse people by what they do politically it isn't really fair. But I like how not everyone just stayed out of everything they could, but the 3 main girls step up and help their neighbors and family.
I think Felicity changed the most. In the beginning she is confused about the accusations and worried someone will get hurt. She was kinda hide in the shadows and in the end she had kicked it up and trys to help. But she learns life isn't always easy.
I like the mystery and it is pretty fast moving. I don't like how they accuse people by what they do politically it isn't really fair. But I like how not everyone just stayed out of everything they could, but the 3 main girls step up and help their neighbors and family.
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