LOYALTY by AVI

 

It is 1774. Noah watches as those calling themselves Sons of Liberty tar and feather his Loyalist father. The man dies several days later leaving Noah in charge of his mother and two sisters. Since Noah is viewed as loyal to the British, several men return and whip him savagely. Noah's mother fears for their safety and decides they need to seek shelter with her uncle in Boston.

When they arrive in Boston, Noah has plans to enlist in the British army, but he soon learns he is too young and too small to serve. He tries to be useful helping deliver papers for his uncle, but that won't be enough to support his mother and sisters. Uncle William helps Noah make contact with a British captain who employs him to be a spy in a nearby pub. Noah waits on customers and sweeps up all the while listening to patriots making plans against the British. He reports what he hears and feels he is honoring his father's memory by being loyal to England.

The revolution begins to heat up in and around Boston. Noah intent on protecting his family, keeps his eye on both sides as he is torn about where his loyalties should lie. With advice from his mother and a friend he works with at the pub, he tries to be independent in his thinking, but that is easier said than done.

Battles break out around Boston and Noah witnesses the true horrors of war. Decisions and sacrifices must be made to keep his family safe. Most of the time the young Noah feels caught between the rebels and the British. Will he ever know where his loyalty is best served?

Author AVI takes readers into the year leading up to the Revolutionary War. Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy raised to trust in the British rule, this view of history is fascinating. Noah's narration will captivate and entertain readers at the same time as it reveals life in that historic time.