Book Synopsis:
Everyone knows Benedict Arnold--the Revolutionary War general who betrayed America and fled to the British--as history's most notorious turncoat. Many know Arnold's co-conspirator, Major John Andre, who was apprehended with Arnold's documents in his boots and hanged at the orders of General George Washington. But few know of the integral third character in the plot: a charming young woman who not only contributed to the betrayal but orchestrated it.
Socialite Peggy Shippen is half Benedict Arnold's age when she seduces the war hero during his stint as military commander of Philadelphia. Blinded by his young bride's beauty and wit, Arnold does not realize that she harbors a secret: loyalty to the British. Nor does he know that she hides a past romance with the handsome British spy John Andre. Peggy watches as her husband, crippled from battle wounds and in debt from years of service to the colonies, grows ever more disillusioned with his hero, Washington, and the American cause. Together with her former love and her disaffected husband, Peggy hatches the plot to deliver West Point to the British and, in exchange, win fame and fortune for herself and Arnold.
My Review:
3/5 stars. Going into this book, I wasn't very familiar with the story of Benedict Arnold, even the basic version. It wasn't an aspect of the Revolutionary War I ever learned about in school, so I learned something from this novel. Besides that, it took me a long time to get through because the pacing was very slow. Except for one who wasn't even a main character, the characters were also not very compelling. I wasn't invested in the story - it didn't feel like there were any stakes. I liked the general vibe of this book, though. It reminded me of an older time-period version of Downton Abbey a little bit. The ending was also very sweet and satisfying.
While most of the time, this book moved too slowly, the pacing was also kind of inconsistent. Sometimes the events of one month or less would take up three chapters, but other times many months would pass in the span of just one chapter. That made it even harder to follow along. I was bored when nothing happened for a while, then had whiplash when it was suddenly five months later.
As for the plot itself, it wasn't very engaging. Despite it being a pretty intense situation that was unfolding, there were no stakes. I wasn't emotionally invested or on edge waiting to see how it turned out. It's not just a situation of knowing it would be resolved - I've read plenty of historical fiction where I know the outcome but still get invested. I can't put my finger on why the stakes didn't feel high, but they didn't.
I liked that the novel was from the point of view of a maid. That aspect of it, the servants' interactions with each other, is what reminded me of Downton Abbey. I loved Caleb. The small romance between him and Clara was my favorite part. That also made the ending very sweet and wholesome, after the craziness of the rest of the novel.
Content:
Language: God's name taken in vain, d*mn, h*ll, b*stard
Sexual Content: Lots of kissing, some described in detail, but others not described much at all; references to sex about to happen; mentions of people looking at each other "hungrily"
Violence/Gore: Nothing graphic; it's a book about war, but nothing is talked about much or shown
Drugs/Alcohol: Characters get drunk often
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