Judas Flowering

Purchas Family #2

by Jane Aiken Hodge

Set against the background of war-torn Savannah during the Revolution, this enchanting novel unfolds the saga of a family divided-and a beautiful heroine, Mercy Phillips, caught desperately between the passions of Rebel and Tory.
Mercy Phillips was a penniless English orphan when Hart Purchis, wealthy young heir to the Winchelsea Plantation, rescued her from the mob.

Hart did not know it then, but Mercy was to play a part in his life that would shape not only the future of Winchelsea but the whole American Revolution itself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Fiction, American Revolutionary War, Suspense

316 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Jane Aiken Hodge was born in the USA, brought up in the UK and read English at Oxford. She received a master's degree from Radcliffe College, Harvard University.

Before her books became her living she worked as a civil servant, journalist, publishers' reader and a reviewer.

She has written lives of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer as well as a book about women in the Regency period, PASSION AND PRINCIPLE. But her main output has been over twenty historical novels set in the eighteenth century, including POLONAISE, THE LOST GARDEN, and SAVANNAH PURCHASE, the beloved third volume of a trilogy set during and after the American War of Independence. More recently she has written novels for Severn House Publishers.

She enjoys the borderland between mystery and novel, is pleased to be classed as a feminist writer, and is glad that there is neither a glass ceiling nor a retiring age in the writers' world. She was the daughter of Conrad Aiken and sister of Joan Aiken.

Reviews

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during war-torn Georgia during the Revolution, this novel introduces a penniless English orphan, Mercy Phillips, who is rescued by Hart Purchis, wealthy young heir to the Winchelsea Plantation, when the mob kills her activist father (a printer of inflamatory political newspapers).

Hart's family disapproves of Mercy and his kindness to her but as she grows up, she is destined to be part of his life as they both take sides on the American Revolution.

Fans of my favorite Savannah Purchase will recognize some familiar characters.

[Diane Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set mostly in Georgia during the American Revolution. Hart Purchis (heir to Winchelsea Plantation) at just 17 years old, rescues Mercy Phillips, whose father has just been killed by an angry mob. So starts this story of families divided by war. We have Rebels and Tories, some also switch their allegiance, and of course there are spies and opportunists. Jane Aiken Hodge does a good job of showing the motivations that drive this cast of characters. She also does a good job with the history and throws in a touch of romance and a bit of suspense to move things along. We see Hart mature over the years and have good insight into his political thinking. He can be a bit thick-headed at times. Of course, Mercy is smart, brave, level headed and always has a plan. Overall, a very good story and I will be reading more from this author.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel in the 1980s, came across it recently and, remembering I had liked it, decided to try it again. Turns out, I remembered very little of the story but was right about the quality of the writing and the Revolutionary War setting. The romance at the center of the story doesn't really take up too much of the narrative, but Loyalist vs. revolutionary politics, life on a Savannah area plantation and the printing of rebel handbills do. Hart Purchas is an admirable hero, but his mother and aunt are silly, helpless society creatures, so it is good thing that he rescues from a mob and brings home the daughter of a British printer before he sails north to Harvard College. Through several changes of fortune, food shortages and occupation, the Purchas ladies survive with the help of their rescued ward/housekeeper. I wasn't convinced that there was such a thing as a plantation with only servants and no slaves, but this plot device definitely made it easier to understand the loyalty hwn faced with the changing tides of war. The story spans 1774 to 1780, while first the north and then the south are ravaged by revolution. Hart and Mercy are well-matched in their bravery and resourcefulness, and the dialogue was delightful.

[Eirene Ritznore · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, it was a little difficult to make head way into this book. I believe that Jane Aiken Hodge's writing style is very unique, and, therefore; it was difficult to read at times. Mainly it was her dialogue phrasing that was hard to follow. However, after several chapters, it developed a rhythm.

The story is excellent. I was not familiar with much of the Revolutionary battles south of North Carolina and how they played out in importance for the war, so this book was delightfully informative.

She did an excellent job of unfolding how a man could start out a Loyalist and then, slowly, change his views to that of a Patriot. Furthermore, she approached the war sensibly, show that people on both sides were responsible for atrocities. That takes finesse.

Overall, it was an fun read.

[Cary · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about the Revolutionary war with lots of history and a incidental love story squished into the side. Quite a chaste book and if you don't mind war as a setting then this is a good book for you. It is certainly less gory than the last one I read about the Civil war!

[Gena Lott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved what I learned about the Revolutionary period in Savannah, Georgia from this book. But it goes a little far in some places as it talks about sexuality. The book would have been better without it.