Proving America

by Jeannette Dilouie

It’s 1814, and the War of 1812 isn’t going great for America. While the new nation has every reason to fight its former motherland again, soldiers need more than mere justification to win battles. Timing, planning and intelligence are pretty helpful too, and the United States is failing miserably in all three categories. Stationed in Washington City at a time when very credible rumors are swirling, U.S. Army Lieutenant Ashley Slasen is trying not to panic. According to numerous sources, the British are coming. And they’re coming for the capital. They definitely mean to attack some American location, yet local and federal leadership are disorganized or self-interested enough to be worse than useless. At this rate, the already war-torn Chesapeake Bay region needs a miracle... or it’s going to finish going up in flames.That’s not even close to being the end of Ashley’s problems either. It only concludes the national side of what he has to worry about. Amidst all this, his younger sister is in town; and if he doesn’t keep her safe, his mother will most definitely have his head. There’s also the fact that he’s never seen battle before, and he’s not sure which possibility scares him getting shot. Or running away. The last thing he wants to do is tarnish his parents’ legacy. But when the bullets start flying, will he have the courage to stand?

378 pages, paperback

Published April 26, 2019

About the author

Jeannette DiLouie is a lifelong bookworm who has been writing stories - albeit not always very well - since she was six years old. She completed her first full-length novel at age 18 and had another six finished by the time she turned 30. Along with her professional career, she runs Innovative Editing, which offers feedback, guidance and other resources for creative and professional writers alike.

Jeannette lives in Lancaster, PA, and has homes away from home in Baltimore, MD; Manville, NJ; and Boston, MA; where she spends many a weekend with her amazing family and best friends. Without them and soft-baked chocolate chip cookies, she'd most definitely go (more) insane.

Reviews

[Anna Catherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeannette Dilouie's Founding America series finally comes to a close with a tale quite different than the first two volumes. I was a little sorry, at first, to not be once again following spunky Abigail, but quickly came around and enjoyed it well enough. The War of 1812 proved to be a fascinating subject, and Ashley Slasen and the new cast of characters were all great. And, once again, the author's attention to historic details is top-notch, with a whopping 50 pages of references and notes at the end of the book. Overall the whole series remains excellent, this one is my least favorite of the bunch but nevertheless a very fine book.