Answering Liberty’s Call by Tracy Lawson
My sketch…
The year — 1778. Based on the author’s 6th-great-grandmother, Anna Stone does the unthinkable. With her family ill & starving at Valley Forge, she defies custom & rides alone — it’s 200 miles on horseback. She’s a mother of three & a healer. She feels she has to go despite the dangers of the terrain & people who prey on travelers. That alone makes for a good story, but she learns about a plot to overthrow Gen. Washington and now her ride is even more important …
My review…
When I read the description, I crossed my fingers and hoped my request would be honored because this book is right down my reading alley. As a genealogy nut with ancestors who were here before & during the Revolutionary War, Answering Liberty’s Call had a strong appeal. Add that the author, Tracy Lawson, based this on her sixth-great-grandmother, I really looked forward to reading this book.
Answering Liberty’s Call is well researched and the writing itself is done extremely well. The book centers on Anna Stone, our heroine. The plot outlined in the book’s synopsis is spot on. But … yes, sadly there is a “but”.
BUT the pacing going from her current time (1778) then bouncing back in time to an earlier memory. Then back again to 1778. Like a ping-pong ball back to earlier times. Back and forth. Back and forth. Now, if you can read this book several hours at a time, it might not bother you as much. But I could not do that. The “bounce” threw the pacing completely off for me. By 50% into the book, it became aggravating.
In the “Afterword“, the author tells about her research into Anna Stone which, of course, appealed to the genealogist in me. Next is the section, “For Additional Reading” which contains books, etc. for those who want to research further. At the very end are “Endnotes“. As stated earlier, Ms. Lawson did her research and brought many facts into Answering Liberty’s Call. I added an additional category, Reference|History, because of these sections.
Rating is 3 stars because of the pacing bouncing back and forth between 1778 and earlier times throughout the book. However, if the pacing does not bother you, then this book is for you. By the way, Tracy Lawson is well-known for her historical novels.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Answering Liberty’s Call from the publisher, BooksGoSocial, via NetGalley. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Oh — one last addition, loved the script font used for letters & documents.
#AnsweringLibertysCall #TracyLawson #NetGalley
