J.M. Hochstetler’s DAUGHTER OF LIBERTY – A Heroine who is a Spy for the Patriots

The story begins in Boston in 1775 at the dawn of America’s Revolution. Elizabeth Howard, the daughter of a doctor who is loyal to the British is a spy for the Patriots. She attends soirees and flirts with the British soldiers, gathering information. Little do they know she is the infamous courier Oriole, hunted by the British for smuggling intelligence and munitions to the Patriot leaders. Elizabeth’s assignment is to pin down the exact time the Redcoats will march to capture the Patriots’ hoarded munitions. But she hasn’t counted on the arrival of Jonathan Carleton, an officer in the Seventeenth Light Dragoons to whom she is attracted and who is eventually assigned to find out who Oriole is.

 

Clearly the author has done much research of the places and battles of the period, and that is all to the good. I loved the history. Much of the story is very well told and there were some exciting parts. However, I found the description of the battles and the locations for troop movements confusing. Definitely too much information. One needed a map. And there were a few other things that distracted: The narrator’s voice popping in from time to time; Elizabeth was 20 but often seemed more like 16, making stupid decisions, flaunting risks when she was warned not to, almost taunting the British to identify her. She crosses the line between the Patriots and the British with impunity, which seemed unlikely; and she calls on a man alone, highly improper at the time. Like some reviewers, I found the romance between Elizabeth and Carleton sometimes hard to see. When Carleton is in the middle of battle and suddenly thinks of his body pressed against Elizabeth, I was like “Really?” That wasn’t believable.

 

There is a faith element to the story that first appears about half way through when Carleton senses a “Spirit” near him. Then two-thirds of the way through the book we get Carleton’s sad story and Elizabeth prays with him for redemption, which was a tad insincere since she was lying to everyone to do her spying, smuggling and spiking of British guns. But then, so was he.

 

All in all, it’s an adventure that will hold your attention.

 

The American Patriot Series:

 

Daughter of Liberty

Native Son

Wind of the Spirit

Crucible of War

Valley of the Shadow

Refiner’s Fire

Forge of Freedom