A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental Army. Her impressive height and lanky build make her transformation a convincing one, and it isn’t long before she finds herself confronting the horrors of war head-on.
But as Deborah fights for her country’s freedom, she must contend with the secret of who she is—and, ultimately, a surprising love she can’t deny.
Review: Born in 1760, Deborah Samson is eventually promised as an indentured servant after her father abandons her family and her mother cannot support her children on her own. While Deborah is talented and hardworking, she feels keenly her lack of true familial love and yearns to escape to a life of freedom and adventure. When the American colonies enter war for independence, Deborah seizes her chance, disguises herself as a soldier, and enlists in the army. Tall and lanky, Deborah passes as a young teenage soldier. Despite her apparent boyish youth, her hardworking nature and fearlessness earn her respect and she eventually lands a prominent position as an aide de camp. And begins falling in love, all while still disguising who she really is.
This was such an interesting read and I loved that is brought life and interest to a real historical figure. It's hard to imagine how harrowing it must have been at times for the real Deborah Samson to manage to keep her real identity concealed from her fellow soldiers and the fear she must have had about discovery. I thought Harmon wrote very realistic battle scenes. The chaos, fear, and sense of confusion and mayhem was clearly felt as a reader and the horror of Deborah witnessing the first victims of the war felt realistic and tragic.
Of course, Harmon embellished the historical facts a great deal and transformed this from primarily a story of a woman who went to war to a story of a woman who went to war and fell in love. Without risking any spoilers, I found General Patterson sort of unlikable. He is continually yelling at Deborah and angrily chiding her throughout nearly every one of their interactions. It was somewhat hard to see why she admired or respected him. I do wish the book was more historically accurate to Deborah's true-life story, but I appreciate that she was trying to make this the most compelling read possible and she does explain the differences in the conclusion of the book.
Stars: 3
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