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Rebecca's War
Left in charge of her brother and sister in occupied Philadelphia in 1777, fourteen-year-old Rebecca's life is complicated further when two British soldiers are billeted in her house.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 10, 2020
I highly enjoyed my re-read of this amazing Revolutionary War novel. I can see why I (and my teenaged brother) loved it so much the first time I read it - and why I've been wanting to read it again ever since I finished it the first time! I thought I'd be satisfied once I let myself re-read it, but nope - I wanted to read it straight through all over again before I even finished my re-read! I'll definitely be doing so in the future, but I'll make myself wait, like last time. I only wish I had grown up with this book, along with my other favorite historical fiction books. But since I didn't know about it it sooner, I'm just glad I stumbled across it in my later teens. I'm always on the lookout for quality historical fiction, and this book fits the bill!
I love the characters in this book so much! Rebecca is a wonderful protagonist and heroine. She's sweet, spunky, stubborn, resourceful, clever, and courageous - yet imperfect, down-to-earth, and relatable. I love experiencing life surviving in occupied colonial Philadelphia alongside her - and watching her rise to the challenge of taking charge of her household. I also love her family and friends, particularly her siblings, the Honourable Frederick, and Captain McLane. Rebecca's relationships and interactions with the other characters are very sweet.
This book has wonderful character development, plot, story, suspense, historical details, and writing style. I enjoyed all those aspects and many others. Though the book follows the everyday life of the main character, which is enjoyable to read, danger and excitement are constantly under the surface and regularly punctuate the story at many points, culminating in a riveting climax. The ending was amazing, even though I didn't want the book to be over. The brilliant climax and sweet final chapter hit just the right notes.
I love the historical genre, and the Revolutionary War/Colonial America is one of my top favorite time periods to read about. I so admire the courage of the American Patriots, and Rebecca's fictional fight represents the rest of the nation so well. I especially love Revolutionary War novels which portray British and American characters discovering common ground, books that show that the war wasn't black and white. Most of the British weren't evil, however loyal they were to their cause, and the British also had to accept the Americans' desire for independence in the end. Rebecca's War represents this so well with its varied range of redcoat and revolutionary characters (and among my favorite books, it's second only to The Reb and the Redcoats in that regard). The relationship between Rebecca and one character in particular is quite profound in this area and in general.
One less-nice thing I had not remembered from my first read was that there are several mild swear words occasionally sprinkled throughout. As far as I can recall, the language is infrequent and used only by the meanest Redcoat soldiers. However, most of the British are respectful, polite, and honorable, and the swearing is limited to one or two of the most antagonistic soldiers. There was at least one instance each of d---, h---, b----, and b------. Because of the infrequent swearing and a few other gritty realities of life in occupied Philadelphia (including mistreated prisoners of war and dead soldiers), I don't think I'll give this book to my little sister until she reaches high school at the earliest.
Overall, this is a wonderful historical fiction book that vividly and engagingly portrays what it must have been like to live during the Revolutionary War. I recommend this book highly to teens and up, especially to fans of quality historical fiction.
Original Review - Nov. 2017
Updated review to come . . . eventually. I began revising and expanding this review after my 2019 reread, but life made it impossible to finish and post the new review. I'll be reading this book again before too long - I can never keep from rereading it again and again - and I plan to finish my updated review at that time, along with a section covering the mild content. For now, this inadequate but decent original review will have to suffice.
I love the characters in this book so much! Rebecca is a wonderful protagonist and heroine. She's sweet, spunky, stubborn, resourceful, clever, and courageous - yet imperfect, down-to-earth, and relatable. I love experiencing life surviving in occupied colonial Philadelphia alongside her - and watching her rise to the challenge of taking charge of her household. I also love her family and friends, particularly her siblings, the Honourable Frederick, and Captain McLane. Rebecca's relationships and interactions with the other characters are very sweet.
This book has wonderful character development, plot, story, suspense, historical details, and writing style. I enjoyed all those aspects and many others. Though the book follows the everyday life of the main character, which is enjoyable to read, danger and excitement are constantly under the surface and regularly punctuate the story at many points, culminating in a riveting climax. The ending was amazing, even though I didn't want the book to be over. The brilliant climax and sweet final chapter hit just the right notes.
I love the historical genre, and the Revolutionary War/Colonial America is one of my top favorite time periods to read about. I so admire the courage of the American Patriots, and Rebecca's fictional fight represents the rest of the nation so well. I especially love Revolutionary War novels which portray British and American characters discovering common ground, books that show that the war wasn't black and white. Most of the British weren't evil, however loyal they were to their cause, and the British also had to accept the Americans' desire for independence in the end. Rebecca's War represents this so well with its varied range of redcoat and revolutionary characters (and among my favorite books, it's second only to The Reb and the Redcoats in that regard). The relationship between Rebecca and one character in particular is quite profound in this area and in general.
One less-nice thing I had not remembered from my first read was that there are several mild swear words occasionally sprinkled throughout. As far as I can recall, the language is infrequent and used only by the meanest Redcoat soldiers. However, most of the British are respectful, polite, and honorable, and the swearing is limited to one or two of the most antagonistic soldiers. There was at least one instance each of d---, h---, b----, and b------. Because of the infrequent swearing and a few other gritty realities of life in occupied Philadelphia (including mistreated prisoners of war and dead soldiers), I don't think I'll give this book to my little sister until she reaches high school at the earliest.
Overall, this is a wonderful historical fiction book that vividly and engagingly portrays what it must have been like to live during the Revolutionary War. I recommend this book highly to teens and up, especially to fans of quality historical fiction.
Original Review - Nov. 2017
Updated review to come . . . eventually. I began revising and expanding this review after my 2019 reread, but life made it impossible to finish and post the new review. I'll be reading this book again before too long - I can never keep from rereading it again and again - and I plan to finish my updated review at that time, along with a section covering the mild content. For now, this inadequate but decent original review will have to suffice.
July 15, 2018
4 1/2 Stars!
I love historical fiction and the Revolutionary War is one of my favorite periods to study. Every time I find myself in historic Williamsburg, I love to sink into the history, the courage and the struggle of a great nation’s birth pains – and this book echoes this love wonderfully.
The writing: Rather straight-forward to begin with but it enhances as it goes along and the plot and characters are so good it doesn’t matter.
The characters: The two that stand out of course are Rebecca and Fredrick.
The authoress did a great job of pulling my emotions and leaving them in a bundle of knots. I went through every beat with Rebecca. One minute I wanted to punch Frederick in the face, the next I loved him. One minute I wanted to trust him, the next I didn’t. Rebecca is a wonderfully spunky and resourceful heroine and everything that she does is perfectly believable. I LOVED that Rebecca was so active in the story but never had to punch someone or do anything absurdly tough and overtly masculine. No instead, Rebecca is a brave WOMAN, who calls about the kind of courage that women possess – the rolling-up-the-sleeves-every-day kind of grit – and soldiers through the fray.
The Honorable Frederick is a slightly despicable character – and yet I loved him. For one thing, he is SHORT AND PLAIN AND FAIR HAIRED. Can we just gild this book in solid gold and shout to the skies that we didn’t have that horrible old trope of tall, dark and handsome?
Frederick is charmingly bland, peculiarly sincere, continually inquisitive. A gentlemen, and yet sly. A soldier, and yet playful. An officer, and yet manipulative. We’re never sure what he’s up to or what he’ll do – and yet we love him. He’s a PERSON, he’s not just a caricature or a place-holder.
And when push comes to shove – Frederick also doesn’t fail us. Despite how he feels, he does his duty.
This book deals with some difficult subjects. What do we do when we have to look the enemy in the eye and come to grasps with their humanity? Do we still have the courage, the grit, the duty, the single purpose to stand, or will we capitulate to our feelings? When do we remain hard and when do we extend mercy? What would YOU do to feed yourself and your family?
I do like that the authoress showed a range of people on both sides of the war - a group of humans finding common ground (although, history makes it quite clear that many of the British soldiers were brutal animals and did not have the Puritan upbringing of Americans – thus creating more of a moral clash than we often accept).
I loved the day to day details of Rebecca’s life—this book perfectly captured the drudgery of daily courage.
An amazing, thought-provoking, evocative and sensory journey through history that I will re-read and treasure for many years.
Content: A few swear words and a few gritty details involving hardship, death and dead bodies.
I love historical fiction and the Revolutionary War is one of my favorite periods to study. Every time I find myself in historic Williamsburg, I love to sink into the history, the courage and the struggle of a great nation’s birth pains – and this book echoes this love wonderfully.
The writing: Rather straight-forward to begin with but it enhances as it goes along and the plot and characters are so good it doesn’t matter.
The characters: The two that stand out of course are Rebecca and Fredrick.
The authoress did a great job of pulling my emotions and leaving them in a bundle of knots. I went through every beat with Rebecca. One minute I wanted to punch Frederick in the face, the next I loved him. One minute I wanted to trust him, the next I didn’t. Rebecca is a wonderfully spunky and resourceful heroine and everything that she does is perfectly believable. I LOVED that Rebecca was so active in the story but never had to punch someone or do anything absurdly tough and overtly masculine. No instead, Rebecca is a brave WOMAN, who calls about the kind of courage that women possess – the rolling-up-the-sleeves-every-day kind of grit – and soldiers through the fray.
The Honorable Frederick is a slightly despicable character – and yet I loved him. For one thing, he is SHORT AND PLAIN AND FAIR HAIRED. Can we just gild this book in solid gold and shout to the skies that we didn’t have that horrible old trope of tall, dark and handsome?
Frederick is charmingly bland, peculiarly sincere, continually inquisitive. A gentlemen, and yet sly. A soldier, and yet playful. An officer, and yet manipulative. We’re never sure what he’s up to or what he’ll do – and yet we love him. He’s a PERSON, he’s not just a caricature or a place-holder.
And when push comes to shove – Frederick also doesn’t fail us. Despite how he feels, he does his duty.
This book deals with some difficult subjects. What do we do when we have to look the enemy in the eye and come to grasps with their humanity? Do we still have the courage, the grit, the duty, the single purpose to stand, or will we capitulate to our feelings? When do we remain hard and when do we extend mercy? What would YOU do to feed yourself and your family?
I do like that the authoress showed a range of people on both sides of the war - a group of humans finding common ground (although, history makes it quite clear that many of the British soldiers were brutal animals and did not have the Puritan upbringing of Americans – thus creating more of a moral clash than we often accept).
I loved the day to day details of Rebecca’s life—this book perfectly captured the drudgery of daily courage.
An amazing, thought-provoking, evocative and sensory journey through history that I will re-read and treasure for many years.
Content: A few swear words and a few gritty details involving hardship, death and dead bodies.
November 7, 2022
If you're looking for an entirely different story and one with a unique perspective of the Revolutionary War, I would highly recommend this title.
Rebecca suddenly finds herself thrust into the role of father, mother, provider and protector of her two younger siblings; and right as the siege of her hometown of Philadelphia is taking place! How could her older brother do this to her? Anxious and insecure, Rebecca manages to muster up the courage she needs to be the head of the house.
As if that wasn't enough responsibility to handle, she is startled one day on the walk home when she is suddenly grabbed, a hand clasped over her mouth and is told of a task she must do...
This book is a fine weaving of intrigue, suspense, history and a touch of romance.
Cleanliness:"d*mned" "for God's sake" "b*tch" "bl**dy" "*ss" and "poppycock" are said a handful of times throughout the book. Mentions a man having a mistress and people of reputation not associating with her type. Mentions alcoholic drinks often and they are consumed often. Their is a kind of kindling romance - not mushy.
Ages: 13+
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Rebecca suddenly finds herself thrust into the role of father, mother, provider and protector of her two younger siblings; and right as the siege of her hometown of Philadelphia is taking place! How could her older brother do this to her? Anxious and insecure, Rebecca manages to muster up the courage she needs to be the head of the house.
As if that wasn't enough responsibility to handle, she is startled one day on the walk home when she is suddenly grabbed, a hand clasped over her mouth and is told of a task she must do...
This book is a fine weaving of intrigue, suspense, history and a touch of romance.
Cleanliness:"d*mned" "for God's sake" "b*tch" "bl**dy" "*ss" and "poppycock" are said a handful of times throughout the book. Mentions a man having a mistress and people of reputation not associating with her type. Mentions alcoholic drinks often and they are consumed often. Their is a kind of kindling romance - not mushy.
Ages: 13+
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
May 4, 2017
To boast: my godmother, after whom I am named, wrote this. And dedicated it to my sisters and me. We (often my mother reading aloud, one of her sparkling skills) read it frequently and with pleasure back then. So glad to see good reviews; I wish it were in print so I could share it with others. Until recently, another of her historicals, _Greenhorn on the Frontier_, was in print by a Pennsylvania university press, as it's set on the western PA frontier. (That was the sequel to _Redcoat in Boston_, also sadly out of print, last I checked.
Anyway, a feisty, memorable heroine, chock full of (well-researched!) Revolutionary War history, and some unforgettable scenes.
Anyway, a feisty, memorable heroine, chock full of (well-researched!) Revolutionary War history, and some unforgettable scenes.
March 9, 2009
When I saw that this book, weeded from the J Fiction collection, was written by a Finlayson, I decided to read it. That it took place in Philadelphia made it even better! Rebecca is a 14 year old girl who is in charge of her house and younger siblings during the British occupation of Philadelphia in the Revolutionary War. She has to deal with officers quartered in her house, selling hidden casks of brandy, keeping secrets, meeting spies, and almost getting arrested for feeding prisoners. I really enjoyed this book--too bad it's not in the library anymore!
October 25, 2011
I read this book when I was 11. My Grandma found it one day and started to read it. She really enjoyed it and she read it out loud to my two younger sisters at night. It became a beloved book of my childhood.
December 22, 2023
5+ stars (8/10 hearts). I was desperately afraid to start this story because Finalyson’s other Revolutionary War book really emotionally impacted me. But I loved this book almost instantly. It is suspenseful and exciting, but also full of sweet relationships/friendships and real life. It was very historically accurate in thoughts, language, and setting. I loved Donald (he was perfect with Amelia!) and I loved Will & Teddy, and Fitch was such a sweet, dependable man. But the Honorable Frederick—my heart! What a sweet, kind, wise, humorous man he was. He was so good to Becky, and so helpful to her. I really appreciated how the British were realistically portrayed in this story—bad guys and good guys, brought up differently from America. I loved the excellent humour! The ending of this book was so sweet... I was left basically melting. <3
Content: A bit of language—but not as much as in Redcoat in Boston and not as bad.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: It was mid-October by then; the chill had turned into glorious blue Indian summer weather, with the sumacs and maples aflame, dry leaves to swish underfoot, and cedar waxwings stripping the last of the crab apples.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: [The sentry] made some sort of response in one of those English dialects that seem to be all vowels.
“Uh—thank you,” said Rebecca. One might as well assume the best. [She] had to prod Peter into setting up his hoop and whipping it into motion. [T]he sentry said, “No, no,” and something like “this doan’t be the proper place loike,” and … led Peter and Amelia over to the wharf ladder and followed them up.
“Oh, I don’t think they’d better play on the wharf,” [protested Rebecca]. “I wouldn’t want them to fall in…”
The sentry stuck his head down and spoke earnestly, apparently to the effect that he liked small children and would see that they came to no harm.
Content: A bit of language—but not as much as in Redcoat in Boston and not as bad.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: It was mid-October by then; the chill had turned into glorious blue Indian summer weather, with the sumacs and maples aflame, dry leaves to swish underfoot, and cedar waxwings stripping the last of the crab apples.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: [The sentry] made some sort of response in one of those English dialects that seem to be all vowels.
“Uh—thank you,” said Rebecca. One might as well assume the best. [She] had to prod Peter into setting up his hoop and whipping it into motion. [T]he sentry said, “No, no,” and something like “this doan’t be the proper place loike,” and … led Peter and Amelia over to the wharf ladder and followed them up.
“Oh, I don’t think they’d better play on the wharf,” [protested Rebecca]. “I wouldn’t want them to fall in…”
The sentry stuck his head down and spoke earnestly, apparently to the effect that he liked small children and would see that they came to no harm.
March 14, 2017
One of my all time favorite books. Such a good story and a great show of feminism and freedom!
July 23, 2024
Rebecca's War is an extraordinary book for the young reader. It is a coming of age story of a young girl against the backdrop of the American Revolutionary War. I first read it as a pre-teen when there were few books for kids who loved the historical period of the colonial and revolutionary war times. Ann Finlayson created some wonderful and believable characters. Rebecca Ransome is a [barely] 14 year old girl at the beginning of the book when due to her older brother's inability to stay during the occupation of Philadelphia by the British beginning in September 1777, she is left in charge. Her family are all strong patriots and faces uncertainty during the occupation. Tom leaves her alone with a younger sister Amelia and brother Peter to care for while her father and another brother are at sea commanding a privateer. Then she becomes the holder of a great secret of supplies and gold hidden in her house. Philadelphia spends months under siege as the Americans hold the supply routes and the young Ransomes and their German housekeeper Ursula face hunger so Rebecca does her best to keep food on the table. And worse! The house is chosen as a place to billet British officers. The first one locks horns with Rebecca and Ursula from the start. But the other is actually a saving grace for the children. The Honourable Frederick arrives gravely wounded and is placed in the very room with the details of Rebecca's secret. His wound "fills the house" but it gives Rebecca the nerve to sell the French Brandy he brought back for them to sell. But the Honourable Frederick recovers and one day she meets the wounded officer and they become friends. He decides to help the family by feeding them and renting the rooms he occupies in the house. Rebecca, while friends with a King's Officer, also works with rebel spies led by the real Allan McLane who help with the brandy sales and wait for the day when the gold can be removed. The book is interwoven with how wars, particularly civil wars, can leave you with more sympathy with your "enemies" than you expect. When ultimately the day comes when the British leave, Rebecca's joy is a little bittersweet because her friend is leaving. But she learns a lot about herself and is proud of how she worked hard to keep her family together and fed, selling the brandy and keeping its location hidden, feeding rebel prisoners in Walnut Street jail, and saving the day as the gold is being smuggled out of the City.
As noted, the characters of the book are all believable, you come to love them all. Rebecca's family; the Honorable Frederick, Captain Towne, his servants, especially the manservant Fitch who also looks out for the children and their best interest; Captain Cargill (her enemy and she even gains some sympathy for him) and his batman, the long suffering Stowe. Rebecca even meets some famous people: British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis, Francis, Lord Rawdon, American Captain Allan McLane, Joseph Galloway, and almost meets Sir William Howe, Admiral Richard, Lord Howe, and Betty Loring, Sir William's mistress.
It is a shame this book is out of print because it is a great gift for girls and boys to read. It is accurate in the background of the times. My only complaint for the book is they often talk of guineas as a base currency when it should be shillings. A guinea was equal to one pound sterling and one shilling. They speak of a sale where the price is 40 guineas which is way to expensive, maybe 40 shillings. But don't let this deter you. Find a copy, read it to your children, and have them reread it on their own.
As noted, the characters of the book are all believable, you come to love them all. Rebecca's family; the Honorable Frederick, Captain Towne, his servants, especially the manservant Fitch who also looks out for the children and their best interest; Captain Cargill (her enemy and she even gains some sympathy for him) and his batman, the long suffering Stowe. Rebecca even meets some famous people: British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis, Francis, Lord Rawdon, American Captain Allan McLane, Joseph Galloway, and almost meets Sir William Howe, Admiral Richard, Lord Howe, and Betty Loring, Sir William's mistress.
It is a shame this book is out of print because it is a great gift for girls and boys to read. It is accurate in the background of the times. My only complaint for the book is they often talk of guineas as a base currency when it should be shillings. A guinea was equal to one pound sterling and one shilling. They speak of a sale where the price is 40 guineas which is way to expensive, maybe 40 shillings. But don't let this deter you. Find a copy, read it to your children, and have them reread it on their own.
June 1, 2019
I was surprised how much my kids enjoyed this book. The language was definitely higher level than my 4-9 year olds could understand on their own, but with some stopping and explaining they were able to keep up with the story. We loved all the reasons this book had its title. Not only for the Revolutionary War, but for all of Rebecca's wars within herself.
June 10, 2020
I read this book in middle school, way back when and I absolutely adored it. I was growing up in Philadelphia at the time and Rebecca honestly felt like she could have been a friend of mind.
August 30, 2021
DNF for profanity
August 5, 2015
Beloved book from my childhood!
June 9, 2016
I loved this book as a child! I remember reading it over & over
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews