The Rebellion of Jane Clarke

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke
By Sally Gunning (270 pages)
Published by William Morrow/HarperCollins
Bookish rating: 3.5

I was in the mood for some historical fiction, and I'm particularly fond of the colonial era of our fair country. So, The Rebellion of Jane Clarke, set on the eve of the American Revolution in Cape Code and then Boston, held some promise.

Refusing to marry the guy her father has selected for her, Jane is sent away to Boston to care for an elderly aunt. There, she hangs out with such folks as John Adams and also happens to witness the Boston Massacre. The first half of the story read better for me, as it was more Jane's story. As politics and historical events took center stage in the second half, though, it felt as though Gunning was struggling to integrate them into the STORY. And the STORY is what I cared about, not the trial (oh, the pages and pages of the trial!), especially because I already knew how the trial of the British soldiers would end. Because, like, it's history and stuff.

So, the reading became tiresome.

To Gunning's credit, I did get surprised by one big twist, and I liked the character of Jane. Historical details, descriptions of the cape, and the sprinkling in of some 18th-century literature, particularly the new concept of a novel (yay for novels!) was a fun addition. At least for nerds.

Mostly recommended.