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Shadow Patriots: A Novel of the Revolution
In July of 1776, the American colonies are ablaze with passion. In the streets, those who would be free boldly read aloud the newly written Declaration of Independence. It is a cry of freedom, but it is also a time of critical confrontation, both on the battlefield and off as the people of a new nation choose between their king and an uncertain future. It is a choice which is not easily made. As Commander-in-chief George Washington declares a major victory in New York, the rest of the colonies separate into Patriots and Tories. Kate Darby never expected to be swept up in this political storm. The Darbys are Quakers who have pledged their allegiance to God first--but that soon changes. Kate's younger brother, Seth, can no longer deny his soul's cry against tyranny. Fleeing from his Loyalist parents' house to join General Washington's ragtag forces, Seth enters a life he never expected.
With the influx of British soldiers, Philadelphia soon becomes a temporary base camp for the English forces. When the Darbys find themselves forced to take in Major Jonathan Andre, Kate falls quickly for his charm. Despite her warring affections, Kate finds herself drawn deep into the war. As she attempts to follow her brother, she risks her life and her family's reputation by becoming a spy for the patriot forces, a role which quickly transforms the once-timid Quaker girl. With a world of danger and political upheaval thrown before them, Kate and Seth face incredible danger in the hopes of shaping one of the single most important events in American the war for freedom. Told with historical accuracy and incredible attention to period detail, Shadow Patriots recreates America at its youngest and describes with vivid intensity the men and women who bravely did their part to deliver it from tyranny.
With the influx of British soldiers, Philadelphia soon becomes a temporary base camp for the English forces. When the Darbys find themselves forced to take in Major Jonathan Andre, Kate falls quickly for his charm. Despite her warring affections, Kate finds herself drawn deep into the war. As she attempts to follow her brother, she risks her life and her family's reputation by becoming a spy for the patriot forces, a role which quickly transforms the once-timid Quaker girl. With a world of danger and political upheaval thrown before them, Kate and Seth face incredible danger in the hopes of shaping one of the single most important events in American the war for freedom. Told with historical accuracy and incredible attention to period detail, Shadow Patriots recreates America at its youngest and describes with vivid intensity the men and women who bravely did their part to deliver it from tyranny.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
20 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Lucia St. Clair Robson
17 books211 followersLucia St. Clair Robson has been a Peace Corps Volunteer, a teacher and a librarian. Her first historical novel, RIDE THE WIND, appeared on the New York Times best seller list, and in 1983 received the Golden Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. Since then she has written seven more novels set in a variety of times and places. Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Few novelists working today have a better grasp of early American history than Robson.""
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 40 reviews
March 11, 2018
The Declaration of Independence is a newly written document in 1776. The country divides between Patriots and Tories, with emotions running high on both sides. The Quakers do not take sides in this revolution. Their first allegiance is to God. The Darby family are Quakers. Seth Darby feels the call to fight for freedom. He sneaks out of his parents house to join the patriots under General Anthony Wayne, a general serving under George Washington.
Kate Darby doesn't choose sides of the conflict. When John André, a captain under General Charles Grey, is housed in the Darby home, the Darbys are perceived as Loyalists, alined with King George. Philadelphia is occupied by the British while New York is held by the Americans.
Seth is captured and held prisoner first at the Sugar House and then aboard the Jersey, a British prison ship. It is during Seth's imprisonment that Kate decides to become a patriot spy. Her contact is Robert Townsend, a fellow Quaker.
I'll leave the description at this point, because I don't want to give anymore away. This is a fascinating novel written about the spies who helped George Washington win the war. There are a lot of characters --- both fictional and cameo -- written into the fabric of this story. They all feel present and real. The plot and subplots keep the reader turning pages. The attention to historical detail is meticulous. The settings and descriptions place the reader within the story world. I would definitely recommend this historical novel.
Kate Darby doesn't choose sides of the conflict. When John André, a captain under General Charles Grey, is housed in the Darby home, the Darbys are perceived as Loyalists, alined with King George. Philadelphia is occupied by the British while New York is held by the Americans.
Seth is captured and held prisoner first at the Sugar House and then aboard the Jersey, a British prison ship. It is during Seth's imprisonment that Kate decides to become a patriot spy. Her contact is Robert Townsend, a fellow Quaker.
I'll leave the description at this point, because I don't want to give anymore away. This is a fascinating novel written about the spies who helped George Washington win the war. There are a lot of characters --- both fictional and cameo -- written into the fabric of this story. They all feel present and real. The plot and subplots keep the reader turning pages. The attention to historical detail is meticulous. The settings and descriptions place the reader within the story world. I would definitely recommend this historical novel.
January 3, 2015
I would have liked to have enjoyed this book. However, due to the FREQUENT (and large) time jumps, it was difficult to follow. When it wasn't jumping, it was told in a hard-to-understand way.
Characters were always appearing in places and I don't know how they got there or why they're there. How did Kate find Cook? How and why did her family come to believe her dead? These are just the start of my great list of questions about what was happening in this book. I shouldn't have to read several segments repeatedly to understand what just happened. One or two segments - fine. Ten? Not so much.
Also, their use of thees and thous was inaccurate. It annoyed me.
Characters were always appearing in places and I don't know how they got there or why they're there. How did Kate find Cook? How and why did her family come to believe her dead? These are just the start of my great list of questions about what was happening in this book. I shouldn't have to read several segments repeatedly to understand what just happened. One or two segments - fine. Ten? Not so much.
Also, their use of thees and thous was inaccurate. It annoyed me.
May 27, 2010
At 360 pages of story Shadow Patriots is not particularly long, especially when you consider that the time period it covers runs from July 1776 to March or so of 1781. It tells the story of the main years of the American Revolution in episodic form mostly through the eyes of the heroine, Kate Darby, and her younger brother Seth. Kate Darby ended up being 355, a female spy with Samuel Culper's ring. Many other famous names of the Revolution make appearences, as well.
Kate is the daughter of a wealthy Quaker merchant living in Philadelphia when the war begins. Because the family is Quaker, they are not allowed to take a side in the conflict, but this leads to the impression among patriotic Philadelphians that her family is actually Tory. The situation isn't helped any when the British occupy Philadelphia and Major John Andre is quartered at her father's house.
Kate has a younger brother named Seth, who doesn't let his religious beliefs stop him from taking sides, however. He's only 14 when he runs away to join the Continental Army at the encampment at Valley Forge. Kate goes to visit Seth at the camp and brings him food, clothes and blankets, which help him survive. However, she contracts typhus during one of the visits and is sent off to a hospital where everyone believes she died. When she recovers, she returns to her home in Philadelphia to find the British have evacuated the city and the patriots have targeted the house for burning, as the home of a Tory family.
Escaping the city, she follows the British baggage train in search of her family who have fled along with the Redcoat army. Eventually she reunites with them in New York where they lodge with a business associate of her father's, who happens to be a Tory. Meanwhile, Seth has been sent on various spy missions after participating in the Battle of Monmouth.
In New York, Kate meets Robert Townsend, another Quaker who has managed to get into the spying business somewhat in spite of himself. Eventually she is drawn into it too. She and Robert marry and carry out their information gathering which Robert writes up as reports in invisible ink and has smuggled out of the British-occupied city. Eventually these reports get to George Washington.
I won't say any more about where the story goes-- and I have left a lot out. I'll only say this is definitely a historical novel and not a romance novel. You can make of that what you will.
I recommend reading it for the period detail. It's really quite amazing what all the author was able to work into this. Did you know George Washington played with a yo-yo to relieve stress? You do now!
There's also quite a bit of humour worked into it. I found myself LOLing at several parts. I'll give you an example of what I thought was the funniest passage. In this scene Count Rochambeau has just landed with the French fleet at Newport and is expecting to be met with American cheers and fanfare. However he finds the town deserted and boarded up. The first person he comes across is a drunk who takes him back to the local tavern, the Lusty Oyster.
I suppose if I had any criticism to make it would be that the author manages to place her OCs quite conveniently at times so that they'll be witnesses to certain historical events. I guess you have to do that if you want to portray said events, but sometimes I found myself wondering at the plausibility. For example, when Kate is living in Philadelphia, it just so happens that her family's house is chosen to house Andre's superior officer, and thus Andre himself. This leads Peggy Shippen (who eventually became Benedict Arnold's wife) to try to become friends with Kate, since she wants to get to know the handsome Andre. I recognise that the author had to do this to establish things that come up later, and yes, it's plausible, but it somehow struck me as contrived.
I suppose this is also because I've been researching the same period for my own story, so with a lot of things, I recognised the names and the person's significance before whatever important event happened (e. g. I recognised Peggy Shippen as the future Mrs. Benedict Arnold the first time she was mentioned; I also recongnised Molly Pitcher's real name when she appeared at Valley Forge, and thus knew the characters were going to be involved in the Battle of Monmouth at some point).
I didn't let that get in the way of my enjoyment of the book, though. I think it's pretty obvious that I liked it since I ripped through it so fast. I will also add that I cried at the end.
Kate is the daughter of a wealthy Quaker merchant living in Philadelphia when the war begins. Because the family is Quaker, they are not allowed to take a side in the conflict, but this leads to the impression among patriotic Philadelphians that her family is actually Tory. The situation isn't helped any when the British occupy Philadelphia and Major John Andre is quartered at her father's house.
Kate has a younger brother named Seth, who doesn't let his religious beliefs stop him from taking sides, however. He's only 14 when he runs away to join the Continental Army at the encampment at Valley Forge. Kate goes to visit Seth at the camp and brings him food, clothes and blankets, which help him survive. However, she contracts typhus during one of the visits and is sent off to a hospital where everyone believes she died. When she recovers, she returns to her home in Philadelphia to find the British have evacuated the city and the patriots have targeted the house for burning, as the home of a Tory family.
Escaping the city, she follows the British baggage train in search of her family who have fled along with the Redcoat army. Eventually she reunites with them in New York where they lodge with a business associate of her father's, who happens to be a Tory. Meanwhile, Seth has been sent on various spy missions after participating in the Battle of Monmouth.
In New York, Kate meets Robert Townsend, another Quaker who has managed to get into the spying business somewhat in spite of himself. Eventually she is drawn into it too. She and Robert marry and carry out their information gathering which Robert writes up as reports in invisible ink and has smuggled out of the British-occupied city. Eventually these reports get to George Washington.
I won't say any more about where the story goes-- and I have left a lot out. I'll only say this is definitely a historical novel and not a romance novel. You can make of that what you will.
I recommend reading it for the period detail. It's really quite amazing what all the author was able to work into this. Did you know George Washington played with a yo-yo to relieve stress? You do now!
There's also quite a bit of humour worked into it. I found myself LOLing at several parts. I'll give you an example of what I thought was the funniest passage. In this scene Count Rochambeau has just landed with the French fleet at Newport and is expecting to be met with American cheers and fanfare. However he finds the town deserted and boarded up. The first person he comes across is a drunk who takes him back to the local tavern, the Lusty Oyster.
A dozen or more topers sat on stools in the smoke-thick room lit by a few guttering oil lamps. Decades if soot had blackened the low beams of the ceiling, and the aroma of tobacco permeated the wood. The serving wench put a tankard of beer in the American's hand as soon as he walked through the door.
"What did you say your name was?" Rochambeau's new friend asked.
"Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau."
"Rush'Em Boys?"
"Non." The savoir of America enunciated carefully. "Row-sham-bow."
The American raised his tankard for attention. "Lads, meet Mr. Rush'Em Boys." He waved his tankard and christened Rochambeau's new name by spilling beer down the front of the count's uniform. "Him and his chums are Frogs."
I suppose if I had any criticism to make it would be that the author manages to place her OCs quite conveniently at times so that they'll be witnesses to certain historical events. I guess you have to do that if you want to portray said events, but sometimes I found myself wondering at the plausibility. For example, when Kate is living in Philadelphia, it just so happens that her family's house is chosen to house Andre's superior officer, and thus Andre himself. This leads Peggy Shippen (who eventually became Benedict Arnold's wife) to try to become friends with Kate, since she wants to get to know the handsome Andre. I recognise that the author had to do this to establish things that come up later, and yes, it's plausible, but it somehow struck me as contrived.
I suppose this is also because I've been researching the same period for my own story, so with a lot of things, I recognised the names and the person's significance before whatever important event happened (e. g. I recognised Peggy Shippen as the future Mrs. Benedict Arnold the first time she was mentioned; I also recongnised Molly Pitcher's real name when she appeared at Valley Forge, and thus knew the characters were going to be involved in the Battle of Monmouth at some point).
I didn't let that get in the way of my enjoyment of the book, though. I think it's pretty obvious that I liked it since I ripped through it so fast. I will also add that I cried at the end.
September 8, 2016
Lucia St. Clair Robson is a writer who focuses on re-telling popular, male-dominated stories from a woman's perspective. Not that she gives short shrift to her male characters, who can be dynamic, fully-realized individuals, but her stories have heroines where we are used to reading about heroes. I first came to Ms. Robson through her novel, "The Tokaido Road," where she tells the famed Forty-Seven Ronin story from the perspective of the gorgeous courtesan-warrior, Cat. I have read many novels of feudal Japan, but only "Shogun" is better at transporting you to that exotic, distant island.
With "Shadow Patriots," Ms. Robson takes on perhaps the most male-dominated story of our American Heritage - the American Revolution. For all the debts that we owe the Founding Fathers, Ms. Robson reminds us that women just so happened to be involved in our struggle for independency, too.
"Shadow Patriots" is Robson's conjuration of a story out of a historical footnote. There is evidence that the British hung an American woman who spied on them under the code name "355." Thanks to exhausting research and a full command of the period, Robson creates Kate Darby, a modest, beautiful Quaker girl who gets caught up in the Revolution against her will. As a Quaker, Kate believes in non-violence, honesty, and placing God above either British or American loyalties. But the brutal brother-against-brother conflict of the war burns down the fence Kate is sitting on, and she must choose sides.
Kate is not alone in her struggle. Her brother, Seth, and her love, Robert Townshend, must also choose sides and struggle with those choices as well as the fact that they have each fallen in love with enchanting women at impossible times. The dashing British Major John Andre must match wits against Benjamin Tallmedge in the war of intelligence and misinformation. And Benedict Arnold must cope with the snubs to his glory as well as his gorgeous, spoiled-rotten prize, Peggy Shippen.
Robson recreates the America of the late 18th century with a charming eye for detail and a wicked sense of humor. Sexual mores, the latest fashions, Quaker purity, and the cowardice of senior officers are all fodder for Ms. Robson's rapier-like wit, and "Shadow Patriots" offers several laugh-out-loud moments.
But at its heart, "Shadow Patriots" speaks to the tragedy of war - a conflict where men and women of honor, wit and courage are at the mercy of cruel forces beyond their imagining. For some, their virtues will be enough to save their necks, but for others, the exercise of those virtues places them squarely in the cross-hairs of fate. "Shadow Patriots" makes you rue the deaths of several beloved characters, but it makes you thankful that the men and women represented by those characters came along at time of such importance to our country.
I only give this novel four stars because a couple of major sub-plots do not feel resolved by the end of the story. While the final chapter left me spell-bound, I kept checking to see if there were pages missing because there are some substantial questions left unanswered. A minor quibble for such an impressive book, but I must use that single star to distinguish "Shadow Patriots" from "The Tokaido Road," which I gave four stars.
With "Shadow Patriots," Ms. Robson takes on perhaps the most male-dominated story of our American Heritage - the American Revolution. For all the debts that we owe the Founding Fathers, Ms. Robson reminds us that women just so happened to be involved in our struggle for independency, too.
"Shadow Patriots" is Robson's conjuration of a story out of a historical footnote. There is evidence that the British hung an American woman who spied on them under the code name "355." Thanks to exhausting research and a full command of the period, Robson creates Kate Darby, a modest, beautiful Quaker girl who gets caught up in the Revolution against her will. As a Quaker, Kate believes in non-violence, honesty, and placing God above either British or American loyalties. But the brutal brother-against-brother conflict of the war burns down the fence Kate is sitting on, and she must choose sides.
Kate is not alone in her struggle. Her brother, Seth, and her love, Robert Townshend, must also choose sides and struggle with those choices as well as the fact that they have each fallen in love with enchanting women at impossible times. The dashing British Major John Andre must match wits against Benjamin Tallmedge in the war of intelligence and misinformation. And Benedict Arnold must cope with the snubs to his glory as well as his gorgeous, spoiled-rotten prize, Peggy Shippen.
Robson recreates the America of the late 18th century with a charming eye for detail and a wicked sense of humor. Sexual mores, the latest fashions, Quaker purity, and the cowardice of senior officers are all fodder for Ms. Robson's rapier-like wit, and "Shadow Patriots" offers several laugh-out-loud moments.
But at its heart, "Shadow Patriots" speaks to the tragedy of war - a conflict where men and women of honor, wit and courage are at the mercy of cruel forces beyond their imagining. For some, their virtues will be enough to save their necks, but for others, the exercise of those virtues places them squarely in the cross-hairs of fate. "Shadow Patriots" makes you rue the deaths of several beloved characters, but it makes you thankful that the men and women represented by those characters came along at time of such importance to our country.
I only give this novel four stars because a couple of major sub-plots do not feel resolved by the end of the story. While the final chapter left me spell-bound, I kept checking to see if there were pages missing because there are some substantial questions left unanswered. A minor quibble for such an impressive book, but I must use that single star to distinguish "Shadow Patriots" from "The Tokaido Road," which I gave four stars.
December 1, 2010
I had high hopes for this book. It is from one of my favorite Era's in history, and the description looked good. Sadly my hopes for this one fell as flat as a dull thud when one drops a book on the floor. The first Chapter was good, and fun it showed us a look between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, which is something I don't think anyone can muck up. But sadly the tone did not stick.
The rest of the book seems to drag by at a confusing pace; it jumps from one city to the next without giving any real flow of what we are doing or how we got there. It follows the solider and than the normal people without giving us a good sense of why or how we are switching views. And perhaps the thing that bothersome the most is that it switches from using thee and thy and back to talking with a modern tone. In my opinion if you're going to talk in one fashion stick with it. Do not jump around; it is too choppy for the reader. As much as I love the era, this book was very difficult to finish I almost didn't.
I also take offense to some of the points used that were considered historical, they had way to much license taken with them. For the most part the historical body of this book was on point, but it took some very serious and sudden sweeping points that were also not on point at all. If I was asked if I would recommend this book, I have to say sadly that I would not.
The rest of the book seems to drag by at a confusing pace; it jumps from one city to the next without giving any real flow of what we are doing or how we got there. It follows the solider and than the normal people without giving us a good sense of why or how we are switching views. And perhaps the thing that bothersome the most is that it switches from using thee and thy and back to talking with a modern tone. In my opinion if you're going to talk in one fashion stick with it. Do not jump around; it is too choppy for the reader. As much as I love the era, this book was very difficult to finish I almost didn't.
I also take offense to some of the points used that were considered historical, they had way to much license taken with them. For the most part the historical body of this book was on point, but it took some very serious and sudden sweeping points that were also not on point at all. If I was asked if I would recommend this book, I have to say sadly that I would not.
December 30, 2010
On a kick about Colonialism and this was recommended as having a lead female. A nice, informative historical fiction. Some spots are left out -- such as when Kate is reunited with her parents for example -- not sure why the author skips sections. And some chapters are heavy on the troop movements. I kept waiting for Washington crossing the Delaware too since Valley Forge is mentioned so often. Guess I don't know my history well enough.
The afterword explains that our Kate is based on a true American lady spy. That is cool. As is the description of the grit of the time -- I know it's not all pewter and ribbons, but it's good to be reminded what indoor plumbing has done for us.
Another neat twist is that Kate is a Quaker -- so it makes her a virtuous lead in an unvirtuous world.
The afterword explains that our Kate is based on a true American lady spy. That is cool. As is the description of the grit of the time -- I know it's not all pewter and ribbons, but it's good to be reminded what indoor plumbing has done for us.
Another neat twist is that Kate is a Quaker -- so it makes her a virtuous lead in an unvirtuous world.
July 5, 2017
I usually enjoy stories about the Revolutionary War, and I looked forward to reading this book on the weekend before July 4. While the first half was interesting, the story started jumping around and became confusing in the second half. I couldn't keep the characters straight, the content included more sexual content and cursing, and I lost interest. I forced myself to finish the book but was overall disappointed. One thing I did appreciate is that the book is based largely on true incidents and people that prompted me to do additional research on the period and characters who helped win our independence.
April 24, 2020
A good quarantine read, with all the privation and disease inherent in early America, but I expected more from it than I got. So many fascinating characters bounced in and out of the pages, but I never spent enough time with any of them to feel connected, even with the main heroine, Kate Darby. Just be glad you don't have to inoculate yourself against smallpox!
Favorite quotes: "They were all as happy as if they'd been released from prison, which in a way they had."
"For the first time since this war started she was doing more than enduring it."
"The Declaration of Independence only guaranteed the pursuit of happiness, Ben [Franklin] wrote. People would have to catch up with it themselves."
Favorite quotes: "They were all as happy as if they'd been released from prison, which in a way they had."
"For the first time since this war started she was doing more than enduring it."
"The Declaration of Independence only guaranteed the pursuit of happiness, Ben [Franklin] wrote. People would have to catch up with it themselves."
November 19, 2019
Excellent
Very well written & researched. Good plot, fascinating characters. A dose of reality about how much people suffered during the war, not just the soldiers. Yet also some humor to leaven it nicely. I wish the author had written a different ending - can't say more w/o spoiling it for future readers. But would not mind hearing from other readers who also wish for a different conclusion.
Very well written & researched. Good plot, fascinating characters. A dose of reality about how much people suffered during the war, not just the soldiers. Yet also some humor to leaven it nicely. I wish the author had written a different ending - can't say more w/o spoiling it for future readers. But would not mind hearing from other readers who also wish for a different conclusion.
February 2, 2025
I struggled to get into this book. The language was difficult to understand at times and the story jumped around from NYC to Philadelphia and Long Island without necessarily letting the reader know.
It felt like the author forced old expressions in when they didn’t fit and common historical facts were at least used well but overall I didn’t enjoy this book.
It felt like the author forced old expressions in when they didn’t fit and common historical facts were at least used well but overall I didn’t enjoy this book.
May 18, 2017
I felt like the book was really slow and needed more action. The author did pretty well, but she gave to much detail in spots where we didn't need to have it. Likewise, there was not enough detail in spots where it was necessary.
May 14, 2018
I'm a sucker for nearly any novel written about the Revolutionary War. In the case of this story, I am glad I had recently binged all seasons of the Netflix series "Turn." Both stories deal with the "Culper" spies for General Washington. Good read and characters I could care about.
January 19, 2018
A nicely written story that seems to have been well-researched to accurately include many historical facts and tidbits.
January 3, 2019
Well worth while for in depth insights.
February 1, 2019
Read first chapters, might finish
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December 26, 2023Home Read
August 28, 2015
I debated giving this three or four stars, but finally settled on three (really three and a half but Goodreads doesn't have half ratings..) because while it definitely held my interest, it was completely different from what I was expecting. Spoilers ahead!
Like I said, this book really captivated me. It was clear that Robson had done her research, and it was fascinating reading about the lavish parties and the different styles of dress, and that was my favorite part of the novel. The section in which the macaroni dress style was explained was particularly funny. I could picture 1770's America, and I also liked that she put it in the view of a Quaker. Most times, we get taught what it was like through the perspectives of soldiers or American/British ideals. To have an unassuming Quaker narrate 1776-1780 in Philadelphia and New York was really interesting.
However, Robson failed to deliver what the book promises. The premise is that a Quaker, Kate Darby, becomes a spy and falls in love with Robert Townsend, who was perhaps the most effective spy throughout the war for the patriots. This premise is not quite true. The novel doesn't focus solely on Kate. Instead, it changes narration to her brother, Seth, who was my favorite character, so I didn't mind that. What I did mind was the fact that I went into this book expecting it to be all about spies. Kate doesn't actually become a spy until about 250 pages into the novel. Spying is talked about, but the bulk of it comes at the end.
I also detested the characterization of Peggy Shippen. Though she may have toyed around with young attractive men before she was married, she was dedicated to her husband, Benedict Arnold. She was also very smart, and is thought to have orchestrated most of the spying between Arnold and British major John Andre. Robson wrote her as a very self-absorbed young girl who flitted around and cared about no one but herself and John Andre, when, in fact, historians can't accurately say whether or not they even "dated". In the novel, she also had "spells" where she would literally go insane, yelling and screaming, throwing dishes against the wall, and ripping her bed sheets with her teeth. This is not the Peggy Shippen of real history.
The pacing was also off in some parts of the book, too. Robson would write an entire chapter dedicated to Seth and how he was freezing at Valley Forge, and then the next chapter, within two paragraphs, we learn that Kate's house was burned down and then she tries to find her family in New York. However, the pacing wasn't too bad, and other than a few different times where I had to stop reading to digest what had just happened, it was ok.
Other than that, I did very much like the side plots, which involved Seth and his time in the army, and his relationship with Lizzie, Kate's maid. I actually would have rather preferred the book to have been all about Seth, because he was the best written character in the novel.
I did surprisingly like Kate and Robert's relationship, too. It didn't overwhelm the story, it wasn't anything too sexual, and it wasn't forced. I do believe it happened too fast, because within one paragraph, Kate is saying "yes" and in the next they get married, but with the pacing, I was used to it by then.
My biggest complaint with the book though was the ending! I know from history that spy 355 (the Culper Ring's code for "lady") dies, so I was expecting Kate to die from the beginning, but at the end, it's all very vague. We get Kate's feelings, which is completely understandable because the book is in her perspective mostly, and the writing was actually quite beautiful, but I wanted to know what had happened to Seth and Lizzie and their son, and how Robert dealt with his wife being hung. I became completely invested in these character's lives, and I wanted more!
As a final note, I also liked that Robson added historical facts in the afterword, where she explains the Culper Ring and its members in greater detail.
All in all, I did like this book a lot, but it was totally different from what I thought it would be. It had all my Revolutionary faves (though I would have liked a hundred more pages on Tallmadge and Lafayette) and a very compelling story. I highly recommend it to lovers of the historical fiction genre!
Like I said, this book really captivated me. It was clear that Robson had done her research, and it was fascinating reading about the lavish parties and the different styles of dress, and that was my favorite part of the novel. The section in which the macaroni dress style was explained was particularly funny. I could picture 1770's America, and I also liked that she put it in the view of a Quaker. Most times, we get taught what it was like through the perspectives of soldiers or American/British ideals. To have an unassuming Quaker narrate 1776-1780 in Philadelphia and New York was really interesting.
However, Robson failed to deliver what the book promises. The premise is that a Quaker, Kate Darby, becomes a spy and falls in love with Robert Townsend, who was perhaps the most effective spy throughout the war for the patriots. This premise is not quite true. The novel doesn't focus solely on Kate. Instead, it changes narration to her brother, Seth, who was my favorite character, so I didn't mind that. What I did mind was the fact that I went into this book expecting it to be all about spies. Kate doesn't actually become a spy until about 250 pages into the novel. Spying is talked about, but the bulk of it comes at the end.
I also detested the characterization of Peggy Shippen. Though she may have toyed around with young attractive men before she was married, she was dedicated to her husband, Benedict Arnold. She was also very smart, and is thought to have orchestrated most of the spying between Arnold and British major John Andre. Robson wrote her as a very self-absorbed young girl who flitted around and cared about no one but herself and John Andre, when, in fact, historians can't accurately say whether or not they even "dated". In the novel, she also had "spells" where she would literally go insane, yelling and screaming, throwing dishes against the wall, and ripping her bed sheets with her teeth. This is not the Peggy Shippen of real history.
The pacing was also off in some parts of the book, too. Robson would write an entire chapter dedicated to Seth and how he was freezing at Valley Forge, and then the next chapter, within two paragraphs, we learn that Kate's house was burned down and then she tries to find her family in New York. However, the pacing wasn't too bad, and other than a few different times where I had to stop reading to digest what had just happened, it was ok.
Other than that, I did very much like the side plots, which involved Seth and his time in the army, and his relationship with Lizzie, Kate's maid. I actually would have rather preferred the book to have been all about Seth, because he was the best written character in the novel.
I did surprisingly like Kate and Robert's relationship, too. It didn't overwhelm the story, it wasn't anything too sexual, and it wasn't forced. I do believe it happened too fast, because within one paragraph, Kate is saying "yes" and in the next they get married, but with the pacing, I was used to it by then.
My biggest complaint with the book though was the ending! I know from history that spy 355 (the Culper Ring's code for "lady") dies, so I was expecting Kate to die from the beginning, but at the end, it's all very vague. We get Kate's feelings, which is completely understandable because the book is in her perspective mostly, and the writing was actually quite beautiful, but I wanted to know what had happened to Seth and Lizzie and their son, and how Robert dealt with his wife being hung. I became completely invested in these character's lives, and I wanted more!
As a final note, I also liked that Robson added historical facts in the afterword, where she explains the Culper Ring and its members in greater detail.
All in all, I did like this book a lot, but it was totally different from what I thought it would be. It had all my Revolutionary faves (though I would have liked a hundred more pages on Tallmadge and Lafayette) and a very compelling story. I highly recommend it to lovers of the historical fiction genre!
February 16, 2015
I’ll give the author the nod for her historical research. From small details like hair cages and macaroni dress habits to the large epics events, Battle of Monmouth and Valley Forge, Lucia has shown some serious research chops as she brings her chosen historical period to life. This novel is the definition of bio-fiction, not straying from the historical record very far at all.
I find myself a bit at odds saying this, but the author sometimes incorporates too much historical details and information. There are some scenes that seriously bog down the overall narrative and just seem extraneous. The scenes with the smallpox inoculations in Valley Forge and the macaroni scene in New York are prime examples that come to mind. They don’t help the overall story at all and just seem to be included to incorporate those historical tidbits.
The character of Kate is very well done. The reader gets so caught up into her story that when the end of the novel comes around (OMFG, that ending!!! ;_:), I was left gasping and reaching for the nearest tissue box. Kate is a down to earth woman who is trying her best to navigate the treacherous path between Patriot and Loyalist without her world blowing up in her face, with varying degrees of success. I loved the fact that she didn't immediately define herself as either; even at the end, she wasn't an ardent anything. She was just Kate trying to keep her heart and soul intact.
The other characters and aspects of the book are a mixed blessing. The author incorporates many of the actual historical figures of the day; so history came alive again there. Yet, I felt like the author was incorporating far too many of the characters, both real and fictional. There were constant shifts between POVs and time-frames that the reader gets lost in this very choppy narrative.
The ending also screamed for more resolution. A bit about how the other people in Kate’s life dealt with the ending would have been lovely. Instead, the sudden jolt of the ending leaves you gasping and wondering how the other characters are dealing with the events portrayed. Even a few paragraphs or a short 2-3 page epilogue would have been nice…
This book was a mixed bag. Historical research and world building was top notch; the main character of Kate was three-dimensional and drew the reader into her journey all the way to the jaw-dropping ending. Yet, the novel has some serious flaws that keep it from scoring any higher than a 3 stars. Extraneous characters and scenes clog up the narrative and storytelling. The final ending is jaw-dropping in a not-good-way, with absolutely no final resolution for the other people in Kate’s life. That final one actually ticked me off a bit and so soured the book overall. I think I’d recommend this novel for the historical stuff, but there are better novels out there.
I find myself a bit at odds saying this, but the author sometimes incorporates too much historical details and information. There are some scenes that seriously bog down the overall narrative and just seem extraneous. The scenes with the smallpox inoculations in Valley Forge and the macaroni scene in New York are prime examples that come to mind. They don’t help the overall story at all and just seem to be included to incorporate those historical tidbits.
The character of Kate is very well done. The reader gets so caught up into her story that when the end of the novel comes around (OMFG, that ending!!! ;_:), I was left gasping and reaching for the nearest tissue box. Kate is a down to earth woman who is trying her best to navigate the treacherous path between Patriot and Loyalist without her world blowing up in her face, with varying degrees of success. I loved the fact that she didn't immediately define herself as either; even at the end, she wasn't an ardent anything. She was just Kate trying to keep her heart and soul intact.
The other characters and aspects of the book are a mixed blessing. The author incorporates many of the actual historical figures of the day; so history came alive again there. Yet, I felt like the author was incorporating far too many of the characters, both real and fictional. There were constant shifts between POVs and time-frames that the reader gets lost in this very choppy narrative.
The ending also screamed for more resolution. A bit about how the other people in Kate’s life dealt with the ending would have been lovely. Instead, the sudden jolt of the ending leaves you gasping and wondering how the other characters are dealing with the events portrayed. Even a few paragraphs or a short 2-3 page epilogue would have been nice…
This book was a mixed bag. Historical research and world building was top notch; the main character of Kate was three-dimensional and drew the reader into her journey all the way to the jaw-dropping ending. Yet, the novel has some serious flaws that keep it from scoring any higher than a 3 stars. Extraneous characters and scenes clog up the narrative and storytelling. The final ending is jaw-dropping in a not-good-way, with absolutely no final resolution for the other people in Kate’s life. That final one actually ticked me off a bit and so soured the book overall. I think I’d recommend this novel for the historical stuff, but there are better novels out there.
August 24, 2012
Lucia St Clair Robson has written an excellent novel of the American Revolution, Shadow Patriots. It's filled with wonderful, well-researched history, some love stories and intrigue. Shadow Patriots is about the spy network set up by George Washington. The insight she shows about the interaction between the two combatant groups is eye-opening. For example, I had not thought about the fact that the people of the revolution and the British lived together in the towns and cities. Ms. Robson also describes the circumstances for both sides in vivid detail.
““The general and I will be billeting here should we find the house suitable.” Andre looked over Kate’s shoulder, taking in the walls laid in yellow milk paint, the plaster ceiling with its frescoes of fruit and flowers, the large paintings of landscapes in heavy guilt frames, the broad marble stairs. “I venture to say the general will find the accommodations quite to his liking.”
He winked at her. Kate feared that between Captain Andre’s charm and General Grey’s menace she would swoon and fill the spot that Lizzie had warmed on the floor.”
The novel deals with the politics and clashes between the two warring groups. The depiction of the way they had to live, the conditions in the jails and the food and clothing that they had to contend with is so well done that you will be glad you were not there, but you will be transported to the time and place in your mind’s eye. Siblings, Kate and Seth Darby are caught up in the fight for independence in spite of their Quaker upbringing. They become “intelligencers” or spies for the Americans, but both have conflicting loyalties to specific individuals from both sides. The interesting side story is the use of a woman as a spy in a time when women were not expected to understand the intricacies of war. The intrigue and danger were real and Ms. Robson tells it in all its pathos. Kate and Seth meet and marry their respective spouses during the conflict and intrigue. The romances are a strategy used to tell the story of a fascinating part of the American Revolution.
Lucia St. Clair Robson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida. She has been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Venezuela, a teacher in New York City, and a librarian in Annapolis, Maryland. She has also lived in Japan, South Carolina, and Arizona. She now resides near Annapolis, Maryland.
She is the author of Ride the Wind, which made the New York Times best sellers list. It also won the Western Writers of America's Golden Spur Award for Best Historical Novel of the year and was included in the top 100 westerns of the 20th century. Several of her other historical novels have won top awards.
““The general and I will be billeting here should we find the house suitable.” Andre looked over Kate’s shoulder, taking in the walls laid in yellow milk paint, the plaster ceiling with its frescoes of fruit and flowers, the large paintings of landscapes in heavy guilt frames, the broad marble stairs. “I venture to say the general will find the accommodations quite to his liking.”
He winked at her. Kate feared that between Captain Andre’s charm and General Grey’s menace she would swoon and fill the spot that Lizzie had warmed on the floor.”
The novel deals with the politics and clashes between the two warring groups. The depiction of the way they had to live, the conditions in the jails and the food and clothing that they had to contend with is so well done that you will be glad you were not there, but you will be transported to the time and place in your mind’s eye. Siblings, Kate and Seth Darby are caught up in the fight for independence in spite of their Quaker upbringing. They become “intelligencers” or spies for the Americans, but both have conflicting loyalties to specific individuals from both sides. The interesting side story is the use of a woman as a spy in a time when women were not expected to understand the intricacies of war. The intrigue and danger were real and Ms. Robson tells it in all its pathos. Kate and Seth meet and marry their respective spouses during the conflict and intrigue. The romances are a strategy used to tell the story of a fascinating part of the American Revolution.
Lucia St. Clair Robson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida. She has been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Venezuela, a teacher in New York City, and a librarian in Annapolis, Maryland. She has also lived in Japan, South Carolina, and Arizona. She now resides near Annapolis, Maryland.
She is the author of Ride the Wind, which made the New York Times best sellers list. It also won the Western Writers of America's Golden Spur Award for Best Historical Novel of the year and was included in the top 100 westerns of the 20th century. Several of her other historical novels have won top awards.
March 30, 2015
Shadow Patriots: A Novel of the Revolution
by Lucia St. Clair Robson
This book takes a look at the history you don't find in the modern classroom. It focuses on those marginal characters, the ones not spoken about in history books but in vague and amorphous ways, because they are between the fences per-say. Like the Quakers during the Revolutionary war had a hard time of it to say things lightly. Their religious beliefs did not allow the to take park in armed warfare. If they choose a side any side they would be read out of the church. Kate and her family are caught between the warring factions hated by both sides taken advantaged by both sides. Their home quartering Loyalist troops at gun point. Her younger brother run off to join the rebels. Both her father and brother read out of the church. Their house burned, they are threatened by both sides constantly as Kate wanders between her father and her brother, just trying to keep the family together and alive. Her father leaves to attempt to salvage his business leaving Kate in the cesspool of the burned aftermath of New York. Her brothers capture allows the writer to express the contemptible circumstances of prisoners of war, and the personal devastation of the individual because of the war. Two things that stand out, are the chapter headlines, which have taken a lot of consideration by me personally. I love how they elude to what is happening in the chapter, even though your personal predictions never match the events until you look back at the chapter... Kinda like history, you never get to the point until its all said and done. The second consideration is who 355 is, the historical adoration known only in history as the lady. I love the thought of trying to find who she was and what she meant to history, and the people who made it... All the better for the book...
by Lucia St. Clair Robson
This book takes a look at the history you don't find in the modern classroom. It focuses on those marginal characters, the ones not spoken about in history books but in vague and amorphous ways, because they are between the fences per-say. Like the Quakers during the Revolutionary war had a hard time of it to say things lightly. Their religious beliefs did not allow the to take park in armed warfare. If they choose a side any side they would be read out of the church. Kate and her family are caught between the warring factions hated by both sides taken advantaged by both sides. Their home quartering Loyalist troops at gun point. Her younger brother run off to join the rebels. Both her father and brother read out of the church. Their house burned, they are threatened by both sides constantly as Kate wanders between her father and her brother, just trying to keep the family together and alive. Her father leaves to attempt to salvage his business leaving Kate in the cesspool of the burned aftermath of New York. Her brothers capture allows the writer to express the contemptible circumstances of prisoners of war, and the personal devastation of the individual because of the war. Two things that stand out, are the chapter headlines, which have taken a lot of consideration by me personally. I love how they elude to what is happening in the chapter, even though your personal predictions never match the events until you look back at the chapter... Kinda like history, you never get to the point until its all said and done. The second consideration is who 355 is, the historical adoration known only in history as the lady. I love the thought of trying to find who she was and what she meant to history, and the people who made it... All the better for the book...
May 23, 2009
One of the best things about this book is that it had me rooting for all of the characters, both American and British. I think it did a really great job of understanding each character's desires and reasons for their actions. It also had a few really really great lines that I just had to stop and read again, The best being one from the character Seth: "He could not tell her that his longing to fight for liberty was greater than his desire to be with her." (pg. 60)
I did think that it was kind of jumpy, from person to person and skipping large amounts of time, which left me a little confused. The story also ended kind of abuptly, which is fine for Kate's plot, but I wish there had been more of an epilogue for other characters, especially the non-historical ones like Seth and Lizzie.
I think that the Culper ring and agent 355 is an excelent concept of a novel, and it was very intersting learning about such an unsung part of the American Revoultion!
I did think that it was kind of jumpy, from person to person and skipping large amounts of time, which left me a little confused. The story also ended kind of abuptly, which is fine for Kate's plot, but I wish there had been more of an epilogue for other characters, especially the non-historical ones like Seth and Lizzie.
I think that the Culper ring and agent 355 is an excelent concept of a novel, and it was very intersting learning about such an unsung part of the American Revoultion!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2013
The book covers an interesting aspect of the Revolutionary War, but the writing style is a bit difficult to get used to. The chapters skip around in time and location, making it sometimes hard to follow. In the first half of the book, each chapter almost seems like a separate story as we are introduced to different characters. Opening each chapter with a notation as to date and location would have made things easier to follow. The last quarter of the book is more of a continuous narrative that flows more coherently across chapters, and was thus more interesting to read. I think the choppiness of the earlier portions of the book were necessary to introduce all of the characters and plot lines that climaxed at the end of the book. Overall, this story of the the spies in New York was interesting, but I think that Jeff Shaara's or Newt Gingrich's Revolutionary War books are more cohesive and hold a reader's interest better.
March 18, 2016
Normally, a book becomes an all-time great in my mind with the perfect mashup of character and prose. But neither of those was what made me so happy I read this book. Robson's prose was more straightforward and less colloquial than I normally like, but she absolutely transported me back in time to what it must have been like living in NYC during The Revolutionary War.
And even though I wouldn't say character-building was Robson's strength, I couldn't stop myself from falling into the wikipedia-hole researching in greater detail the majority of them. And wow, sometimes fact ends up way more interesting than fiction. I'd already been to a lot of the places mentioned in the book in NYC, but after I finished it, I took a trip up to Tappan, NY to see some of the locations up there. Five stars for peaking my (undoubtedly already high) interest in this time period, and three stars for the actual book itself. Unequivocal recommendation to any history nerd!
And even though I wouldn't say character-building was Robson's strength, I couldn't stop myself from falling into the wikipedia-hole researching in greater detail the majority of them. And wow, sometimes fact ends up way more interesting than fiction. I'd already been to a lot of the places mentioned in the book in NYC, but after I finished it, I took a trip up to Tappan, NY to see some of the locations up there. Five stars for peaking my (undoubtedly already high) interest in this time period, and three stars for the actual book itself. Unequivocal recommendation to any history nerd!
March 26, 2014
The beginning of “Shadow Patriot” is confusing, with a huge cast of characters and the author's switching too quickly from one to another. Instead of an interesting, complex story about the American Revolution, what I got instead... chopped bits of a story, tossed together like a bit of a human salad. Not to mention trying to trust who was spying for or against who.
I finally got into the story half-way through and came to love Kate, the possible lady spy in the Culper Spy Ring. The best like I have about the book is that the reader gets the women's perspective of the war.
I've been struggling with the exact words to express about the ending... simply said... it left a big lump in my throat.
I finally got into the story half-way through and came to love Kate, the possible lady spy in the Culper Spy Ring. The best like I have about the book is that the reader gets the women's perspective of the war.
I've been struggling with the exact words to express about the ending... simply said... it left a big lump in my throat.
June 24, 2014
Except for a certain "romance" overtone, I enjoyed this book about Revolutionary War "intelligencers" (spies). Well researched with interesting tidbits about everything from wig cages (to keep mice from the flour which whitened the wigs)to a French import called l'incroyable (a yo-yo), the devastation of New York City and Philadelphia during the War and the activities of spies both for loyalists and colonists.
Not the first I've read of hers. She does a very good job with these historical novels, many of which I read in order to do my bimonthly "book reports" for a magazine to which I am a frequent contributor. I already did a piece on her RIDE THE WIND about a white child abducted by Indians who is the mother of Quannah Parker.
Not the first I've read of hers. She does a very good job with these historical novels, many of which I read in order to do my bimonthly "book reports" for a magazine to which I am a frequent contributor. I already did a piece on her RIDE THE WIND about a white child abducted by Indians who is the mother of Quannah Parker.
November 4, 2013
Shadow Patriots offers an intriguing take on the identity of one of George Washington's spies and takes the reader on this character's journey from proper pacifist Quaker to devoted patriot "intelligencer." Shadow Patriots offers an enticing introduction to the world of Revolutionary War spycraft and the toll intelligence work could take on those who committed (and commit) themselves to it. With AMC producing a new series on the Culper spy ring, readers looking forward to that production could whet their appetite with this entertaining addition to the surprisingly spare range of Revolutionary War historical fiction offerings.
August 26, 2016
Kate Darby is a young Quaker woman being pulled from both sides during the American Revolution. She wants to protect and support her brother when he joins the Continental Army. She follows the army from Philadelphia to NY but eventually ends up living with the British due to parental influences. While in this situation she becomes a vital link in a spy network based in New York City. This group of undercover eyes were vital in giving troop movement and supply information to General Washington.
This book is well written, moves quickly, and is extremely interesting. I couldn't put the book down after about page 50.
This book is well written, moves quickly, and is extremely interesting. I couldn't put the book down after about page 50.
Want to read
January 4, 2011Definitely NOT for kids. For example, "As General WIlliam Howe studied his card above the tabletop he felt Elizabeth Loring's silk stocking-clad toes slide ... along his inner thigh. They stroked his shaft and tickled his stones"
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