Rebellion 1776

What worked:
The book offers young readers a glimpse into the country’s conditions as it struggles for independence from England. Many people don’t support the rebellion, as they’re Loyalists, loyal to the King of England. The story opens with the British controlling Boston and the colonists firing their cannons into the city. Elsbeth, the main character, is hired by Mister Pike, who once spied on the British army. Loyalists hate him for working against the king, while colonists dislike that he worked with the enemy army and lost his fortune in the process. Missus Pike is livid that she can’t associate with the wealthy class, and the family’s financial issues put a hardship on the entire family. However, readers get a perspective of the range in standards of living, as the family’s wealth fluctuates. They’re also caring for Hannah, a young girl due to inherit money, as her guardian is away.
Details regarding the smallpox epidemic will have readers appreciating the marvels of modern medicine. Most people fear the disease and avoid traveling to Boston, where the more dense population makes it easier to catch. Inoculations for smallpox have recently been developed, but many people fear them. Receiving the inoculation is more painful than modern medicine’s simple shots. Sanitation is important, but advancements in this field are limited. Access to doctors is not widespread, as many of the trained physicians work for the military. Many readers will be shocked by the primitive methods of treating serious medical conditions.
Elsbeth narrates her story as she struggles to locate her father and become a seamstress. The status and role of women during this time period are addressed, and their opportunities and freedom are limited. She accepts the work and abuse in her position as a maid to remain in a stable living situation. Women are subservient to men, and most are expected to become wives. It’s inappropriate for single women to be seen in the company of men without a chaperone present. Hannah takes Elsbeth as her personal assistant, and the pair finds their alliance equally beneficial. The way Hannah is treated by her guardian and the Pikes may be even more disturbing than Elsbeth’s situation. Elsbeth has a special friend, but being a homeless orphan forces him to make questionable choices.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot is not fast-paced, as Elsbeth deals with many challenges. There isn’t a clear climax, although Hannah’s illness creates suspense. The final chapter brings resolution to any unanswered questions. It might have been more entertaining to make them part of the plot.
The final verdict:
While it takes place during the Revolutionary War, the story deals more with the role of women, social perceptions, greed, and surviving the smallpox epidemic. I recommend this book for older, middle-grade readers.

In 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper is working as a maid from Judge Bellingham. While she is thrilled when the Siege of Boston ends with the Patriots ousting the British, the judge is a Loyalist who must leave. In dealing with him, Elsbeth has met a young doctor in training, Nyott Doubt, whom the judge asks to look after his house when he must leave. Doubt brings in Mr. Pike, who soon enscounces his large and rowdy family there. Elsbeth had thought that the victory would have made her father, a sailmaker happy, but as smallpox descends on Boston, he flees, and she can't find him. She goes to his boarding house to look for him, and encounters Billy Rowdon, who is ill. Her best friend, Shubel, who has been working for a shoemaker as an apprentice, loses his position, and struggles to find work, even being rejected by the army. Elsbeth is allowed to keep working for Mr. Pike, which is the only way that she has a place to sleep and three meals a day. Pike's family includes Tabitha and five younger boys, as well as a ward, Hannah Sparhawk. When Elsbeth starts to work as Hannah's personal maid, it gives her a bit of a break from the attention of the housekeeper, Widow Nash, who is very demanding. Hannah takes a shine and tries to spend time with Mr. Doubt, but Boston is further thrown into difficulty when smallpox starts spreading. Elsbeth had them when she was young (she lost her mother and three younger siblings to the disease), as did Hannah, so the girls are not vaccinated with the rest of the family. Billy returns and offers information about her father, as well as his possessions, but requires information or clothing from Elsbeth in return. Hannah has some questions about her guardian, Captain Hunter, who seems as corrupt as Billy is. When the family's inoculations make them mildly sick, it is a lot of work for Elsbeth, who is still trying to find her father. Will Elsbeth be able to help Hannah figure out how to get her inheritance, and find a way to get herself trained so that she can be more than a scullery maid for the rest of her life?
N.B.: This book is in no way related to this author's Fever 1793 (2000). It's been so long since I read that one that when I found that Elsbeth had survived a deadly disease, I thought she might have been a character in that earlier book, so I was a bit confused.