The American Victory

American Adventure #12

by JoAnn A. Grote

History comes alive for eight-to-twelve year olds in this close-up, fun-to-read, multi-generational story of a fictional family spanning three centuries of actual historical events. God's hand is seen at work in people's lives and in the events that shaped our nation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, School, Young Adult, Christian, Historical

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

JOANN GROTE lives in Minnesota, where she grew up. She uses the state for most of her story settings, and like her characters, JoAnn seeks to serve Christ in her work. She believes that readers of novels can receive a message of salvation and encouragement from well-crafted fiction. She has over 35 books to her credit, including novels, "The American Adventure" series for children, and the "Heartsong Presents Inspirational Romance" series. She captivates and addresses the deeper meaning between life and faith.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the twelfth book in The American Adventure series. This series tells about the lives of children from many generations of a fictional family throughout American history, from the settling of Plymouth by the Pilgrims through the end of World War II.

Eight-year-old Paul Lankford's father has been away fighting in the American Revolution for most of Paul's life. Because he has only seen his father a few times in the past six years, Paul barely knows him. So when the war finally ends in 1781 and Paul's father returns home, he has a difficult time adjusting to the change. Paul's father is very strict, and doesn't seem to understand Paul at all. Paul would like to be a shipbuilder, like his Uncle Ethan, but he fears telling his father he doesn't want to follow in his footsteps as a printer. Over the next two years, Paul struggles to form a better relationship with his father and gain the courage to determine his own future.

This was probably among my least favorite books in the American Adventure series. It wasn't a bad book, but I found it hard to get interested in, because it didn't really have a strong plot. It also seemed to have more historical details and less story in it than some of the other books in the series. I would only recommend it to readers who, like me, don't want to skip a book in the series.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a boy who was 3 when the war started & his father left to fight. Now that his father has come home after 6.5 years, the adjustments that have to be made in his everyday life. It also gives a run down of all that happened in the war to his father because he reads his father's journal written while he was away fighting. Good simple review for a test if you're studying the American Revolution!

[Daniel Gaul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul tries his best to open a relationship with a father he has never known while the US is in its first year of existence

[Marius B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previously in the series: The American Revolution (#11)

Set in the years 1781 to 1783, The American Victory chronicles the continuing journey of the Lankford family,
-of their struggle with the children growing up only ever having known life in wartime
-and of their dealing with their husband and father returning home from the war after so many years

You follow Stephen's nephew - Paul (8-10) - who struggles with having to get to know his own father who has been away at war, of having life disrupted because of the end of the Revolution, and wanting to be something other than a newspaper printer like his father.

Historical figures involved/mentioned were John Hancock, General George Washington, General Cornwallis, General O'Hara, General Lincoln, General Rochambeau, General Howe, General Henry Knox, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere, Sam Adams, Benedict Arnold, John Paul Jones, Benjamin Franklin, and King George III.

Next up in the series: Adventure in the Wilderness (The American Adventure #13)