Revolutionary
Alex Myers
Hardcover
(Simon & Schuster, Jan. 14, 2014)
A fascinating retelling of the story of Americaâs first female soldier, Deborah Sampson Gannett, who ran away from home in 1782, successfully disguised herself as a man, and fought valiantly in the Revolutionary War. âA novel of the American Revolution by a writer who is himself a true American revolutionary.â âMark Edmundson, author of Why Teach? In 1782, during the final clashes of the Revolutionary War, one of our young nationâs most valiant and beloved soldiers was, secretly, a woman. When Deborah Samson disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army, she wasnât just fighting for Americaâs independenceâshe was fighting for her own. Revolutionary, Alex Myersâs richly imagined and meticulously researched debut novel, brings the true story of Deborahâs struggle against a rigid colonial society back to lifeâand with it the courage, hope, fear, and heartbreak that shaped her journey through a countryâs violent birth. After years as an indentured servant in a sleepy Massachusetts town, chafing under the oppressive norms of colonial America, Deborah canât contain her discontent any longer. When a sudden crisis forces her hand, she decides to finally make her escape. Embracing the peril and promise of the unknown, she cuts her hair, binds her chest, and, stealing clothes from a neighbor, rechristens herself Robert Shurtliff. Itâs a desperate, dangerous, and complicated deception, and becomes only more so when, as Robert, she enlists in the Continental Army. What follows is an inspiring, one-of-a-kind journey through an America torn apart by war: brutal winters and lethal battlefields, the trauma of combat and the cruelty of betrayal, the joy of true love and the tragedy of heartbreak. In his brilliant Revolutionary, Myers, who himself is a descendant of the historical Deborah, takes full advantage of this real-life heroineâs unique voice to celebrate the struggles for freedom, large and small, like never before.