The Reluctant Patriot

by Roger F. Duncan

In 1775, just prior to the start of the American Revolution, the British schooner Halifax was wrecked off the Maine coast. The pilot of the vessel was a Colonial seaman who'd been impressed into the Royal Navy. Drawing on true events and real people, noted maritime author and historian Roger Duncan traces the fictional life of Halifax's pilot in this historical novel.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars I enjoyed this historical fiction about the settlement and early life of residents of present day Washington County, Maine. I appreciated that the author clarified that some characters were purely fictitious while others were based on First Settlers (I found the names of both a 6th GGF and GGM as well as a 6th great uncle) and that "Wildcat Inn" (Burnham Tavern) was often the setting for the patriots' meetings. I also enjoyed the character development of the points of view of Patriots and Loyalists and how economic issues affected them. I know NOTHING about sailing, but since the author was so descriptive of sailing techniques, I expect that one who does sail would appreciate how that enhanced the tales of Chris's travels. My reason for not ranking the book higher: I am not an historian; however, I was taken aback by the repeated British references to "America" and "Americans," vs the colonies/colonists. It was my understanding that the terms did not gain favor til after the Revolution with even George Washington avoiding using them. Also, and maybe I missed it, but since this book would be appropriate for a middle or high school reader, perhaps the author's frequent references to the District of Maine simply as Maine would have warranted a clarification of its relationship to MA in the 1770s and its ultimate separation some half-century later.

[Karoline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read and simple. Good for a day at the beach.