The Rebellion of Jane Clarke

About The Rebellion of Jane Clarke

Jane Clarke leads a simple yet rich life in the village of Satucket on Cape Cod—until her refusal to marry the man her father has picked out as his son-in-law causes an irreparable tear in the family fabric. Banished to Boston to make her living as best she can, Jane enters a strange, bustling city awash with redcoats and rebellious fervor. And soon her new life is complicated by her growing attachment to her frail aunt, her friendship with the bookseller Henry Knox, and the unexpected kindness of British soldiers, which pits her against the townspeople and her own brother, Nate, a law clerk working for John Adams. But it is the infamous Boston Massacre—the killing of five colonists by British soldiers on a cold March evening in 1770—that forces Jane to question accepted truths as she confronts the most difficult choice of her life.

Sally Gunning’s The Rebellion of Jane Clarke is an unforgettable story of one woman’s struggle to find her own place and leave her mark as a new country is born.

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (April 26, 2011)

About Sally Gunning

Sally Gunning is the author of two previous novels, The Widow’s War and Bound. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband.
Find out more about Sally at her website, and add her as a friend on Facebook.

My Review

When I heard about this book I was excited about reading it. I am very much into genealogy and at the moment I am tracing a group of ancestors in the late 1700's, which is about the same time as the story in The Rebellion of Jane Clarke takes place. With the research I had already done on the history of the period reading historical fiction of the same era intrigued me.

The story is written from Jane Clarke's point of view. From her life in the village, a sea voyage, to her new life in Boston the reader shares her thoughts and observations. I really liked the character of Jane Clarke, she is a sensible young woman who is trying to find her way, and her future, in a new place. She explores her new surroundings with a sense of curiosity. The people she meets, from John Adams to a British sentry, help to shape her views. This is an exciting time in history but it is also filled with danger as the stirrings of a new nation awakens thoughts of revolution. Several of my ancestors fought for our country's independence and The Rebellion of Jane Clarke has given me a taste of what their everyday lives might have been like.

Am I recommending this book? Most certainly!
You can buy The Rebellion of Jane Clarke HERE.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review, all opinions are my own.