Kate And The Spies

Colin shook his head. “There’s a little bit more. ‘Those trumpeters of evil, the printers will not be forgotten.’” Kate learned over his arm and saw that a list of Patriot printed followed. Uncle Jack’s and Harry’s names were at the top of the list. Destroyed! Hung! Threads against her own cousin swept through Kate like a wildfire. The skull and crossbones seemed to laugh at them in the candlelight.

Book: Kate and the Spies: The American Revolution (Sisters in Time Book 6) by JoAnn A Grote, Barbour Publishers, 2004

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 9-15

Subjects: Family Relationships, God’s Will, Love For Enemies, Friendship

Summary: Brother turns against brother, friend against friend, cousin against cousin. The American Revolution may or may not destroy the British army, but it is definitely destroying relationships between loved ones. Kate finds himself very much torn. She sees good arguments on both sides of the issue. When she listens to her father, he seems to make sense. But when she listens to her cousin and Uncle, they seem to make sense too. When her cousin asks her and Colin to spy for him, she uncertainly agrees. But with her parents being strong loyalists she can’t let anyone know which side she has decided to be on – not even the best friend who is rejecting her for being a loyalist!

Notes: Kate And The Spies is the sixth in the Sisters-In-Time series. This series features young girls living at various key points in American history, particularly around the wars. It always places the girls right at the edge of the teen years, coming of age.  The concept of the series it to not only show a glimpse of history, but to help young girls feel that the people back then weren’t that different than the people today.

Kate And The Spies takes place in 11775 focusing the first battles of the American Revolution. Historical Figures such as Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and Patrick Henry either are featured or referenced in the story. It places a lot of emphasis on how hard it was for families when everyone seemed to have differing beliefs on the issue. It also shows how hard the British could make life for the colonists. A challenging point comes when one character questions why his father is showing kindness to and encouraging his son to pray for, the enemy when he isn’t even nice to his own brother-in-law who should be easier to love than an enemy.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Luke 6:35 – But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.