Rebels, Turn Out Your Dead

by Michael Drinkard

In his cannabis-infused pipe dreams, Salt imagines himself a man of independent means, rather than a Yankee hemp farmer under the thumb of his Tory father-in-law. Then Salt's teenage son shoots a British officer, and the Revolutionary War comes home, bringing both danger and unexpected freedoms.

Forced to flee his farm and family, Salt is taken captive on a prison ship off the shore of Brooklyn, where he finds himself in unplanned pursuit of something that might just be happiness. With her husband on this odyssey, Molly embarks upon her own war of independence, from the chronic disappointments and long-rehearsed roles of marriage. And under the unlikely wing of the British army, son James begins to come of age along with his country.

Based on real events, Rebels, Turn Out Your Dead is a historical novel with a decidedly contemporary sensibility and a fresh take on the many meanings of liberty.

Genres: Historical Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2006

Reviews

[deena kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read very little about the Revolutionary War. I found this book informative especially regarding the prisoners of war kept on boats near Brooklyn, NY. The number of dead resulting from these "water prisons" is staggering.

[Melissa Milazzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt half-baked (no pun intended). I saw the themes of each character searching for the freedom available to them in the revolutionary era, but those threads never really came together.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal, honest and masterfully written. I couldn't put it down.