Christine Blevins

3.5 Stars

I've been on a historical midwife and witch kick lately, so this book was right up my alley. It's actually been on my to-shelf for years, at least two. So I figured it was time to give it a go. It proved to be a fairly enjoyable read with a great main character and fascinating historical storyline with unknown elements for me. Despite a few hitches, I would feel comfortable recommending this book on to others.

I adored the historical story explored in this book. Information about indentured servants and the back country of Appalachia are not often represented in historical fiction. The author gives a ton of details about how the indentured servant system worked and how it impacted all the parties involved, both the servants themselves and the bidders for their contracts. She also makes the rough life on the frontier in the 1700s come alive. Abundant details on daily life illustrate how tough it was to survive in this wild environment, where either the weather or the natives could take your life easily. The author does a great job at making the reader viscerally experience both aspects of the history explored.

Maggie made this novel for me; she's tough, courageous, and practical. She comes from a harsh background to create a life in a new world equally as harsh. Death and despair are common occurrences in her life. However, Maggie doesn't let that drag her down. I loved the way she approached the hardships in her life, with grit and a sensible outlook on life. I found elements of my own personality in hers and so found her all the more relatable.

Most of the secondary characters and the main male lead, Tom, were as distinct an individual as Maggie. I loved Tom. He stands out as a rugged, courageous man comfortable in the wilds of frontier North America and within his own skin. I also grew to love Maggie's indentured family whom she served and the rest of the inhabitants of the nearby town.

However, one of the hitches of this book fell in this area. The main villain came off as a caricature for the most part. He's over-the-top, to the point of un-believability. Let's just say that if the railroad had existed in this time, I could have seen this villain tying Maggie up and doing a Snidely Whiplash routine like the cartoon. There would have been much mustache twirling going on. This exaggeration of his character detracted from my enjoyment of his scenes and role in the book.

My other problem with this book has to do a bit with the villain and his scenes with Maggie. The story goes into some very dark places; yet, I expected that from reading other reviews. In fact, that was one of the reasons I hadn't picked up this novel till this point. After reading this book, I feel that some of what happened to Maggie at his hands were over-the-top, like his characterization. I felt the story would have held as much weight without these unnecessary brutal scenes. I don't fault scenes like these being in historical fiction titles; brutal things like this did happen. Yet, the ones included with this book seemed unnecessary with the rest of the narrative flow.

Despite a few hiccups with unnecessary scenes and a two dimensional villain, this book was an enjoyable journey into colonial frontier America. A strong main character leads the cast of equally strong secondary characters to make the reader live the story, not just read it. The fact that the author explores unfamiliar historical details and stories is just icing on the top for me. I would feel very comfortable recommending this book to friends and family, especially if you have an interest in colonial America fiction.… (plus d'informations)

3.5 stars

The Tory Widow, the first novel in author Christine Blevins American Revolution series, is set in New York City in the early days of the Revolutionary War. At the start of the conflict, Anne Merrick is a young widow struggling to keep her late husband's printing business alive by publishing British propaganda, even though she doesn't necessarily believe in the propaganda herself. When her print shop is attacked by the Sons of Liberty, lead by the dashing Jack Hampton, Anne begins to question her actions. In so doing, she becomes increasingly drawn to both Jack and her country's struggle for independence from British rule. When the Patriot army is defeated in New York, and the city falls under British occupation, Anne decides to remain in her home and convert her print shop into a coffee house that caters to British officers. While outwardly playing the part of dedicated loyalist, Anne does whatever it takes to glean important information from the British and pass it on the Patriots. In so doing, Anne puts her very life on the line in the cause of liberty.


Overall, The Tory Widow is an enjoyable read. Blevins paints a vivid portrait of life in New York City at the start of the Revolutionary War, both before and during the British occupation. One of the greatest strengths of this novel is Blevins' ability to convey the British as the enemy without painting them as a one-dimensional evil force. Even though they sit on opposite sides of the conflict, Anne comes to respect some of the British officers with whom she crosses paths and recognizes that if not for the war she would have little quarrel with them. One of the principal weaknesses of this novel, however, rests with the development of Anne as a character. At the opening of the novel, Anne is portrayed as dismissive and disapproving of the Sons of Liberty and their cause. Many years later, at the start of the war, while no longer disapproving, Anne still seems reluctant to support the Patriots. The arrival of Jack Hampton into her life changes this, and Anne seemingly goes from a reluctant bystander to an ardent patriot almost overnight. It would have been beneficial to the story for Blevins to have included a little more insight into the rationale behind Anne's abrupt embracing of the patriot cause, as it seems to come out of nowhere. Furthermore, some of Anne's actions don't seem consistent with her established character, nor with how a respectable woman of the age would have behaved -- war or not (e.g. mooning the British with a bunch of prostitutes from the roof of a brothel). Nevertheless, these weaknesses didn't detract significantly from my enjoyment of the story. While Anne herself could have been a bit better developed, the novel's secondary and tertiary characters, whether they be patriot or British, hero or villain, shine and I look forward to finding out what's next for them in the novel's follow-up, The Turning of Anne Merrick.

Recommended for fans of the historical fiction genre interested in the Revolutionary War period.… (plus d'informations)

The Turning of Anne Merrick, the second novel in Christine Blevins' American Revolution series, finds our heroine, Anne Merrick, once again using her considerable charms on the British in an effort to gather intelligence for the Patriot cause. While the series' first novel, The Tory Widow, takes place in New York City, this second book has Anne once again acting as a Patriot spy when she and her trusted servant Sally join British General Burgoyne's campaign down the Hudson Valley. With the collapse of Burgoyne's forces, Anne and Sally join up with the Patriot army to winter at Valley Forge. Once again reunited with her lover Jack Hampton, who serves as a Patriot scout, Anne hopes that she can put her spying days behind her and start a new life with Jack. General Washington, however, has other plans and calls on Anne to again assume the role of dedicated loyalist, this time in British-occupied Philadelphia where it is expected she will gather much needed intelligence about British plans. While this mission means another separation from Jack, she accepts without question knowing that any information she can gather could help defeat the British. But the mission to Philadelphia, where Anne opens a coffee house, proves to be her most dangerous yet. Not only are spies are being hung for treason, but someone from Anne's past resurfaces intent on destroying Anne and all she holds dear.

Overall, The Turning of Anne Merrick is a great read. Blevins paints a vivid portrait of life with the British army, at that time the most formidable army in the world, as well as with the Patriot army under General Washington. I found Anne's days with the British Army and as a 'loyalist' coffee house owner in Philadelphia to be especially interesting and entertaining. One of the greatest strengths of this novel is the relationship between Anne and Jack. I admit I wasn't a big fan of Jack in the first novel but after reading the second book I've grown to like him. While I didn't at first find Jack to be a good match for Anne, by the end of this novel I came to better understand their relationship. Although the events at the conclusion of this novel seemed somewhat implausible, my interest in them never waned. Before I had finished, I found myself looking forward to the events of the next book.

Although The Turning of Anne Merrick can be read as a stand alone novel, I highly recommend reading The Tory Widow first as it gives important background on the characters and events of this novel.

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, particularly those interested in the American Revolution.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel as a host for The Turning of Anne Merrick Virtual Book Tour.… (plus d'informations)