This is an early Johnston, and it shows. I'm a big fan of her Keeping Days series, and it was interesting to see some of the same underpinnings here. This story is set during the American Revolution, and it's pretty bare in a lot of ways- it presupposes that the reader knows a lot about the war, especially in New Jersey. The protagonist is a 15 year old girl who has adulthood cares thrust upon her far to early. There are 5 kids in the family, and an extended family of cousins and friends, some of whom were hard to tell apart. There's a fair bit of interesting Dutch history, and a nice picture of farm living in the late 1770s. There is also, since it's Johnston, a lot of romance. The love interests are worthy, for the most part, and their struggles ring true.

I liked it but I didn't love it. It's certainly worth a read, especially if you are a fan. ( )