Elsbeth Culpepper and her father move to Boston from Philadelphia after her mother and siblings die from the smallpox. Mr. Culpepper is employed as a sailmaker. Elsbeth is a kitchen maid in a separate location. She longs to apprentice as a seamstress. When her employer,a Loyalist, flees Boston, Elsbeth finds new employment, where the head kitchen maid is cruel and nasty. With the backdrop of the Revolutionary War, readers experience this era and the smallpox inoculation first hand through Elsbeth's first-person account.
I enjoyed this riveting tale. Ms. Anderson researches extensively and knows how to develop credible characters and how to immerse the reader into the historical event.
Warning: Elsbeth is a liar. Lying is her natural defense and solution. Her lies eventually get her into trouble. I still liked her as a character-her compassion, her perseverance, her cleverness are all admirable.
-Borrowed from the library.
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