Memorial Hall Library

Happy 4th of July!

MHL will close at 5pm on Monday, July 3rd and be closed on Tuesday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Before we close, why not stock up on historical fiction? Here are some revolutionary reads.

The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation: Volume 1, The pox party
The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation: Volume 1, The pox party
by M.T. Anderson

Various diaries, letters, and other manuscripts chronicle the experiences of Octavian, a young African American, from birth to age sixteen, as he is brought up as part of a science experiment in the years leading up to and during the Revolutionary War.
The ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small
The ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small
by Neil Jordan

Saving the life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, a British army officer from one of Ireland's greatest families, Tony Small, an enslaved man escaping to his freedom in 1781, becomes his companion and best friend, bearing witness to revolutions that shaped the 18th century—in America, France and, finally, Ireland.
Begin the world over
Begin the world over
by Kung Li Sun

In 1793, James Hemings leaves the relative comforts of his position as Thomas Jefferson's enslaved chef and is invited to join a coalition of Black revolutionaries and Muskogee resistance to fight American slavers and settlers in this alternate history tale. 
Benjamin Franklin's bastard : a novel
Benjamin Franklin's bastard : a novel
by Sally Gunning

The bastard son of Benjamin Franklin, William Franklin is named the new Royal Governor of New Jersey, but all he has achieved is threatened when the colonies, led by influential figures including his own father, begin the fight for independence - a cause he refuses to support or accept. 
Chains
Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson

When their owner dies at the start of the Revolution, Isabel and her younger sister are sold to Loyalists in New York, where Isabel is offered the chance to spy for the Patriots.
The Dutch girl : renegades of the American Revolution
The Dutch girl : renegades of the American Revolution
by Donna Thorland

Manhattan and the Hudson River Valley, 1778. The British control Manhattan, the Rebels hold West Point, and the Dutch patroons reign in feudal splendor over their vast Hudson River Valley estates. But the roads are ruled by highwaymen. Gerrit Van Haren, the dispossessed heir of Harenwyck, is determined to reclaim his inheritance from his decadent brother, Andries, even if that means turning outlaw and joining forces with the invading British. Until, that is, he waylays the carriage of beautiful young finishing school teacher Anna Winters... Anna is a committed Rebel with a secret past and a dangerous mission to secure the Hudson Highlands for the Americans. Years ago, she was Annatje, the daughter of a tenant farmer who led an uprising against the corrupt landlords and paid with his life. Since then, Anna has vowed to see the patroon system swept aside along with British rule. But at Harenwyck she discovers that politics and virtue do not always align as she expects...and she must choose between two men with a shared past and conflicting visions of the future. 
Hamilton's Battalion : A Trio of Romances
Hamilton's Battalion : A Trio of Romances
by Rose Lerner

On October 14, 1781, Alexander Hamilton led a daring assault on Yorktown's defenses and won a decisive victory in America's fight for independence. Decades later, when Eliza Hamilton collected his soldiers' stories, she discovered that while the war was won at Yorktown, the battle for love took place on many fronts...
The king's beast : a mystery of the American Revolution
The king's beast : a mystery of the American Revolution
by Eliot Pattison

When Duncan McCallum is asked by Benjamin Franklin to retrieve an astonishing cache of fossils from the Kentucky wilderness, his excitement as a naturalist blinds him to his treacherous path.
The patriot bride
The patriot bride
by Kimberley Woodhouse

Faith Jackson and Matthew Weber are both working covertly to aid the Patriot cause. But will they be willing to sacrifice all for their fledgling country? A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees. 
Revolutionary
Revolutionary
by Alex Myers

Describes the story of Deborah Sampson Gannett, who, in defiance of the rigid societal and social norms of her times, ran away from home, disguised herself as a man and helped fight against the British during the American Revolution.
The story of land and sea : a novel
The story of land and sea : a novel
by Katy Simpson Smith

A sweeping generational story, set in a small coastal town in North Carolina during the waning years of the American Revolution follows fathers and daughters, mother and son, and master and slave as they search for redemption during a time of war, servitude and love. 
Things past telling : a novel
Things past telling : a novel
by Sheila Williams

Loosely based on the author's real-life female ancestors, this story of Maryam Prescilla Grace, a midwife, born in West Africa around 1758, charts her journey across an ocean of years, as she gains and loses family, her culture, a husband, lovers and children. 
The traitor's wife : the woman behind Benedict Arnold and the plan to betray America : a novel
The traitor's wife : the woman behind Benedict Arnold and the plan to betray America : a novel
by Allison Pataki

Retells through the perspective of her maid, the story of Peggy Shippen Arnold, the mastermind behind America's most infamous act of treason, as Peggy hatches a plot to deliver West Point to the British.