America is on the brink of war with England, and Fin Button is about to come undone. She s had it with the dull life of the orphanage, and she is r...
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reviews
Dec 26, 2010
Tara
rated it: 
Wow! This has left me reeling! Meet Fin Button. She is seventeen years of age and has spent all but the first seven days of her life in an orphanage. Despite the nuns' desire to make her into a young lady, Fin has other ideas. Rather than sit with a needle and thread, she is out punching the daylights out of her fellow unruly male orphans, wearing pants, cursing, and she would much rather use a hammer and saw than be stuck in a kitchen all day. Unfortunately for Fin tho, the nuns do put her
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25 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Jan 15, 2012
Natalie (Mindful Musings)
rated it: 
In a Sentence: While a little slow to start, The Fiddler's Gun is an exciting historical adventure with a great main character.
My Thoughts
One of the things I thought of while reading The Fiddler's Gun is that it reminded me of Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, which I really enjoyed as a kid. However, I think that The Fiddler's Gun will hold more appeal for older readers as well as younger ones.
The main character, Phinea "Fin" Butt More...
My Thoughts
One of the things I thought of while reading The Fiddler's Gun is that it reminded me of Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, which I really enjoyed as a kid. However, I think that The Fiddler's Gun will hold more appeal for older readers as well as younger ones.
The main character, Phinea "Fin" Butt More...
2 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jun 13, 2010
A.S.
rated it:
Early praise for The Fiddler's Gun:
“Peterson has lovingly crafted a work of historical fiction which begs the question, “Can this really be a debut novel?” With dogged fidelity, he captures the spirit, manners, and social conditions present during the American Revolutionary War. We meet colorful, credible characters who navigate the high seas of life and love, dependence and independence, war and peace, truth and consequence and despite forays into ostensibly dark places, The Fiddler More...
“Peterson has lovingly crafted a work of historical fiction which begs the question, “Can this really be a debut novel?” With dogged fidelity, he captures the spirit, manners, and social conditions present during the American Revolutionary War. We meet colorful, credible characters who navigate the high seas of life and love, dependence and independence, war and peace, truth and consequence and despite forays into ostensibly dark places, The Fiddler More...
0 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 08, 2010
2bnallegory
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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2 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Sep 05, 2010
J.J.
rated it:
This review is going to almost completely devoid of any plot points. I enjoyed the story and loved the characters so much that I wouldn't want to spoil anything for you. But I will start by saying this is not a kid's book. It is violent and there is a bit of mild language, but neither is gratuitous.
It's hard to believe this is the first book by A.S. "Pete" Peterson. It can sometimes take me months to get through a book if I don't find it interesting. It has to grab me in th More...
It's hard to believe this is the first book by A.S. "Pete" Peterson. It can sometimes take me months to get through a book if I don't find it interesting. It has to grab me in th More...
Jan 07, 2011
Becca
rated it:
It's difficult to put into words what this book means to me. I'm ashamed to admit it now, but I opened _The Fiddler's Gun_ expecting a cliche' pirate plot plus a dash of _Anne of Green Gables._ I closed it humbled.
Beneath the surface of a robust, action-paced, high-seas adventure plot, _The Fiddler's Gun_ ministers humbly to the deepest matters of the soul. Loneliness. Rejection. War. Rest. Love. Hate. Faith. Ungrace. Redemption. Each is woven into a story that crashes and swells alm More...
Beneath the surface of a robust, action-paced, high-seas adventure plot, _The Fiddler's Gun_ ministers humbly to the deepest matters of the soul. Loneliness. Rejection. War. Rest. Love. Hate. Faith. Ungrace. Redemption. Each is woven into a story that crashes and swells alm More...
Jun 24, 2010
Colin
rated it:
normally dismiss historical-fiction because I fear that it will be really, really boring and that I might accidentally learn something. So when I got The Fiddler’s Gun I was conflicted. On the one hand I hate history and on the other, I love pirates. I was conflicted until finally my love of pirates won and started to read the book.
It was pretty awesome.
There was the initial culture shock from reading about people who didn’t know what a large hadron collider was but then More...
It was pretty awesome.
There was the initial culture shock from reading about people who didn’t know what a large hadron collider was but then More...
Jun 03, 2010
William
rated it:
The Fiddler’s Gun by A. S. Peterson
I don’t often say, “outstanding work” upon reading a new author. The Fiddler’s Gun is historic fiction set in rural Georgia at the outset of the American Revolution. It is a tale of an orphan coming of age and coming to grip with personal characteristics that frighten her.
Fin Button is a very likeable character exhibiting very modern frustrations with pre-determined roles. She doesn’t see her self as falling into acceptable life r More...
I don’t often say, “outstanding work” upon reading a new author. The Fiddler’s Gun is historic fiction set in rural Georgia at the outset of the American Revolution. It is a tale of an orphan coming of age and coming to grip with personal characteristics that frighten her.
Fin Button is a very likeable character exhibiting very modern frustrations with pre-determined roles. She doesn’t see her self as falling into acceptable life r More...
Apr 08, 2010
Rjohn
rated it: 
I won this from a goodreads giveaway.
The back of the book had a short summary that I almost wish I hadn't read. I think it would have been more enjoyable going in with no ideas about the characters.
This is part one of a two book series basically about the Revolutionary War, Piracy, Love, Sin, and Redemption.
The main character Fin Button is left at an orphanage for not being a boy, and thereby begins her journey through life of not fitting in. She lives life by her o More...
The back of the book had a short summary that I almost wish I hadn't read. I think it would have been more enjoyable going in with no ideas about the characters.
This is part one of a two book series basically about the Revolutionary War, Piracy, Love, Sin, and Redemption.
The main character Fin Button is left at an orphanage for not being a boy, and thereby begins her journey through life of not fitting in. She lives life by her o More...
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Mar 24, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Wow! I picked up "The Fiddler's Gun" at my friend's house and couldn't put it down after skimming the first five pages. This book made me wish for subway delays and long waits in the dental office so that I could be whisked away into Fin's world. I do not particularly like books about wars or pirates, and yet I was completely captivated by this story. Peterson hooked me with the initial subtle dash of Anne of Green Gables in the opening chapters. But really, it only took those first 5
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 31, 2010
Lindsay
rated it:
If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! The Fiddler’s Gun is set in Ebenezer, a suburb of Savannah, GA. Phinea Button is a young woman who has lived in an orphanage since she was an infant. Phinea, more affectionately known as Fin to the other orphans, was a tomboy and a troublemaker, often pulling pranks on the women who ran the orphanage. The younger orphans considered Fin to be their protector, getting into a number of fights with the older kids who were being b
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(3 people liked it)
Jun 29, 2011
Matt
rated it:
I picked this book up because of two things, neither really a good reason to pick up a book, but both seem to work for me. First, the cover. Evocative and very cool looking, almost spooky in a Louisiana scares me sort of way. Second, the era of the book was the Revolutionary War, a time period I feel that is just lacking any exploration in any media…just seems like we have forgotten this period and all the coolness that happened then.
The book is the extraordinary tale of one girl’s j More...
The book is the extraordinary tale of one girl’s j More...
Sep 11, 2010
Heather
rated it:
Fin has always felt she had no choice a girl. She didn't choose to be the 13th girl born to her parents, or be left at an orphanage, or prefer mischief over conformity. This is just the way things are. When assistants are being chosen to help build the new chapel, Fin wants nothing more than to be chosen, but this is a boys job and the Sister's assign her to Kitchen Aid instead. Much to her surprise she finds an unlikely friend in Brother Bartimaeus, the Cook. Who has kept his dark past secret f
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Oct 12, 2010
Katy
rated it:
The first word that came to mind when I finished this book was WOW. I cannot believe this is A.S. Peterson's first book. Other words that aptly describe this book: adventurous, violent, emotional, action-packed, moving, and thrilling. This book is set in the years leading up to and during the beginning of the American Revolution, so it is categorized as historical fiction. It's not based on a true story, but it's definitely some fabulous adventure fiction based in a historical setting.
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Jan 11, 2010
Lanica
rated it:
I would give this book 4 and a half stars if it were possible.
I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the setting. The writing was wonderful. I could tell that the author had thought about each word as he set it down. There were allusions to the sea and piracy throughout the book, even when he was describing something completely unrelated to either. The book was expertly blended into one whole unit, each line building on the story as a whole, making the book cohesive in story More...
I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the setting. The writing was wonderful. I could tell that the author had thought about each word as he set it down. There were allusions to the sea and piracy throughout the book, even when he was describing something completely unrelated to either. The book was expertly blended into one whole unit, each line building on the story as a whole, making the book cohesive in story More...
3 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 19, 2011
Sheree
rated it:
*Squeal* this was one utterly captivating read. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, and I was completely immersed in Fin's world from page one. Tragedy, love, hope, redemption; from orphanage antics to adventure on the high seas; The Fiddler's Gun has it all.
Peterson does a wonderful job recreating the tone and feel of a southern colony in British America in the 1700's. Colonists are chafing for independence from British rule, revolution is at hand and turbulence follows on the backs of t More...
Peterson does a wonderful job recreating the tone and feel of a southern colony in British America in the 1700's. Colonists are chafing for independence from British rule, revolution is at hand and turbulence follows on the backs of t More...
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(3 people liked it)
Nov 17, 2010
Cory
rated it:
This historical fiction is a beautiful tale of loss, love, action and pirates! The setting for most of the book is colonial Georgia, around the 1770s. It doesn't take a historian to know that there is a lot of action to be found there, and Peterson finds it, to be sure. The protagonist is a young lady named Fin Button who is a stereotypical Tom Boy who is thrown into a set of circumstances that are very unusual. At every step of the plot, the scenes, feelings and conversations are so decorated w
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Dec 23, 2010
Susan
rated it:
Thank you to author Mr. Peterson and the Goodreads giveaway program for giving me a copy of The Fiddler's Gun. This is a fast-paced and fun book for anyone who wants to read about orphans and pirates, the days of America's fight for independence, and one tough female protagonist. Fin was originally named Phineas by a mother hoping to soften a father's heart to the birth of yet another daughter. Still, she ended up in a Georgia orphanage, wild and rebellious, with only fellow orphan Peter for
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Dec 01, 2009
Redheadkate
rated it:
As I read the first two pages of The Fiddler’s Gun by A.S. Peterson, these lines stole the air right out of me.
"…time has a way of leading a person along a crooked path. Sometimes the path is hard to hold to and people fall off along the way. They curse the road for its steep grades and muddy ruts and settle themselves in hinterlands of thorn and sorrow, never knowing or dreaming that the road meant all along to lead them home. Some call that road a tragedy and lose themselves a More...
"…time has a way of leading a person along a crooked path. Sometimes the path is hard to hold to and people fall off along the way. They curse the road for its steep grades and muddy ruts and settle themselves in hinterlands of thorn and sorrow, never knowing or dreaming that the road meant all along to lead them home. Some call that road a tragedy and lose themselves a More...
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Feb 12, 2010
Jenni
rated it:
http://www.curatormagazine.com/jennisimm...
Order your copies now: https://store.rabbitroom.com/books . . . you'll be so happy that you did.
Order your copies now: https://store.rabbitroom.com/books . . . you'll be so happy that you did.
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Dec 11, 2010
David
rated it:
I received this as a free book through Goodreads First Reads.
A rip roaring ride through colonial American history. The heroine is left by her parents at an orphanage where she befriends the cook who has a mysterious past. Through various events she gets finds herself on board a ship that becomes a privateer, raiding British merchant vessels. The last 1/3 of the book is a fast paced ride against British forces that are pursuing both her, and the ship she is on. Some interesting twists More...
A rip roaring ride through colonial American history. The heroine is left by her parents at an orphanage where she befriends the cook who has a mysterious past. Through various events she gets finds herself on board a ship that becomes a privateer, raiding British merchant vessels. The last 1/3 of the book is a fast paced ride against British forces that are pursuing both her, and the ship she is on. Some interesting twists More...
Jan 10, 2011
Greg
rated it:
Pirates. The craze never seemed to catch on with me, so going into this book I was entirely too skeptical that the book could have been anything but bad. Spurred on by the claim of being historical fiction, I gave it a shot and I must admit I am glad I did. The book is not about your typical swashbuckling pirates out for buried treasure, propelled by a spot marked by an 'X' on secret treasure map.
While some of the classic pirate traits exist (enter treasure map), the story is vaguely a More...
While some of the classic pirate traits exist (enter treasure map), the story is vaguely a More...
Mar 04, 2010
Mari - loves to read
rated it:
Phineas(Fin for short) Button was left on the doorstep of Ebenezer orphanage in Georgia 17 years ago. Fin has grown up to become quite the tomboy, much to the Baab Sisters despair, she ought to have behaved like a lady and worn pretty dresses and a bonnet over her hair. When the opportunity to do some carpentering presents itself Fin hopes to get chosen for the job, instead she is chosen to kitchen duty. Needless to say Fin is really disappointed but she finds comfort and friendship in the orpha
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2 comments
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(1 person liked it)
May 20, 2010
Molly
rated it:
I won this on first reads and now it is my favorite book!
2 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 19, 2011
Rachel
rated it: 
Hmm. A hard one to review. It's deep, with complex characters; good writing. But I found it dark. Parts of it I really liked, but between the language (shocking!) and the darkness of it I couldn't call it a favorite. I would like to read the sequel, because the story's really not done with this book. It was interesting to read this concurrently with a more scholarly book on the Revolution; this reminded me that in spite of all the economic and political causes of the war (quite interesting
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Nov 29, 2011
Drew
rated it:
I'm embarrassed to say that it took me five months to slog through The Fiddler's Gun. But to be more specific, it took me five months to slog through the first half, and five days to zip through the second half. The end of the book is as exciting as the beginning is not.
The Fiddler's Gun. starts out like any number of period romance novels. The country is on the brink of revolution, and 17-year-old Phinea (Fin) Button longs to be free of her life at an orphanage, anticipating the da More...
The Fiddler's Gun. starts out like any number of period romance novels. The country is on the brink of revolution, and 17-year-old Phinea (Fin) Button longs to be free of her life at an orphanage, anticipating the da More...
Feb 04, 2012
Kris
rated it:
I give it a solid 3.5 stars. I had some issues with the pacing of this novel and with the characters. Fin seemed way younger than her age at the beginning of the novel, and then kind of grated on me during some of the middle parts. The beginning went kind of slowly, which worked, but then the middle moved slowly too. Only toward the end does it pick up the pace.
I did love Fin's character and/or the idea behind her. She was kind of awesome, even if she was holy brat-terror in th More...
I did love Fin's character and/or the idea behind her. She was kind of awesome, even if she was holy brat-terror in th More...
Apr 08, 2011
Ali
rated it:
The beginning of this novel is deceptive. You think you're in for a sweet, charming historical yarn about an orphanage, and then it turns twisted and unexpectedly dark. Not without reason, not without purpose, and not without some moments of charm and levity to spare. But still. Several scenes knocked the wind out of me, I was so completely unprepared for them.
The writing is vivid and colorful with a great storyteller's voice. This sets it apart from the stark, pace-focused prose of a More...
The writing is vivid and colorful with a great storyteller's voice. This sets it apart from the stark, pace-focused prose of a More...
Mar 31, 2010
Lydia
rated it:
I think I will be singing the praises of this book for a very long time.
This book had everything. Kick-butt heroine? Check. Fascinating time in history? Check. Humor? Check. Heart-break? Check. Action? Check. Pirates? Double-check.
When I began the book I was immediately taken in by the almost fairy-tale like start. It was all just so.. fascinating. Fin's origins, the complex characters that made up the people in her life. Hilde.. I couldn't decide whether to love More...
This book had everything. Kick-butt heroine? Check. Fascinating time in history? Check. Humor? Check. Heart-break? Check. Action? Check. Pirates? Double-check.
When I began the book I was immediately taken in by the almost fairy-tale like start. It was all just so.. fascinating. Fin's origins, the complex characters that made up the people in her life. Hilde.. I couldn't decide whether to love More...
3 comments
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(2 people liked it)
May 01, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
While I think the book holds a lot of promise, I had great trouble buying Fin, the heroine, as a pirate. It's only in the movies, unrealistic ones at that, where a girl can hold her own among fighting, seafaring men. Sure, Fin was tough in the orphanage, but I never once believed that she could fight against the men on her own ship, much less the British navy. Besides that, I also didn't believe Peter would find much to love in her. All in all, it was fun-yet-chiched yarn of a book.
