The Books I Read – For Research - Fall 2023 & Winter 2024

2/15/24
I was looking for another mentor book for my middle grade novel. This one skips me ahead to 1809, and to a lot of surprises. Here are the six that caught my attention.

1. Some things haven’t changed – the fighting between the two political parties. Back then it was the federalists and the antifederalists. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were happy to serve as the 3rd and 4th presidents, but they were also glad to leave Washington and their federalist critics behind.

2. Washington City in 1809 was a mess. It was more backwater swamp than a capital city. It had sidewalks, but if you took the wrong step, you’d have muddy shoes. The president’s house was a shell without furniture, so Dolley invited a few key federalists inside and wrangled $5000 out of them. It was enough to decorate the public rooms.
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3. Dolley used those rooms to bring people together from both parties, from different social classes. She thought mixing people together would help them to talk, and to work together. Her gatherings were so popular they were called squeezes. Can you guess why?!

4. The war went badly for the Americans who didn’t even have a standing army. The antifederalist Jefferson got rid of it. The redcoats took advantage and burned down the capital. Madison told Dolley what to save, like the Constitution and the Declaration, but not her dresses or turbans. They both wanted our most important documents in American hands. But Dolley saved one thing that wasn’t on the list, Washington’s portrait. She didn’t carry it out – she had it chopped out of its frame and stored away. They didn’t roll it up either– that would have cracked the paint and ruined it.

5. The war finally ended when Andrew Jackson overwhelmingly beat the British in New Orleans. The redcoats called his men dirty shirts, scum of the earth, and mismatched misfits. The battle ended in 30 minutes, with only 500 redcoats left. They started with 3000. I’m glad those mismatched misfits took care of business and saved our country.

6. After the burning of Washington, Congress made a few attempts to move our capital. Thank goodness they failed. I’m glad our capital is still named after the Father of our Country.
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                                Amazon’s Description:     DOLLEY MADISON UNITES YOUNG AMERICA!
 Amidst the nonstop turmoil of the War of 1812, the decisive First Lady takes action and inspires an anxious nation.

Dolley Madison faces a bitterly divided Washington City when her husband, James Madison, becomes our fourth president. The prospect of war against Great Britain threatens to tear our fragile republic apart. The "Presidentess" hosts open parties in the new President's House to unite political foes and cultivate an American identity.

When President Madison declares war with disastrous results, Dolley carries on, ignoring the threats against her. However, as British soldiers march toward Washington City, she becomes their target. Now America's Second War of Independence hinges on her. What must she do to save the United States while also saving herself?

   The true story of a woman with humble Quaker roots who rallies America during the War of 1812!

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1/17/24
​I’d never heard of the Culper Spy Ring until a writing friend said to check out the TV series “Turn.” I couldn’t, I don’t have that network, and I refused to buy it. Instead, I bought this book by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger. It’s a nonfiction middle grade, not a thriller. But I was fascinated by the idea that George Washington would have actually set up a spy ring, and that he was once a spy himself. The details are fascinating! Here are the four I remembered.
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1.  Nathan Hale probably never said, “I regret I have but one life to give to my country.” Poor Hale, he was young and in love with the idea of being a spy. He went into New York a week or two after school started, too late. His cover – he was a schoolmaster. He was caught and hanged within a week or two. Hale could be linked to the quote, but there’s no proof he really said it. If there was, it would be in this book . . . it’s nonfiction.

2.  There are paintings throughout this book. They give you a picture of what life might have looked like during the Revolution. Unfortunately, most were painted years later. That’s when small details get lost. One of the first examples is John Trumbull’s famous painting of the Declaration of Independence. Some people think it’s the actual signing, but it’s really the Committee of Five presenting their draft to the Second Continental Congress. You’ll find lots of other examples in this book.

3.  Agent 355 – She was a real spy, but no one knows her true identity. Fascinating! In this book, the authors speculate that she ran in high circles with people like British Major John Andre. After he was captured with the plans from West Point from Benedict Arnold, Agent 355 disappeared. Some people think she was caught and imprisoned on one of the British prison ships sitting in New York harbor. No one knows if she lived or died. If you’d like to read what the Smithsonian thinks, click on this link: Who Was Agent 355? | History| Smithsonian Magazine

4.  General Washington never recaptured New York, but the spy ring continued to operate all through the war. Even when the British took the war south to Georgia and the Carolinas. I was surprised to learn Washington gave the British fake information that he was nearby, with 2000 men. In reality, he left them there as a decoy. Most of the Continental Army was on a fast march south to Virginia. The cover helped them surprise the British at Yorktown, and that led to the end of the war. 

Amazon’s Description:
A page-turning middle-grade adaptation of the New York Times bestseller about George Washington's top-secret spy ring that helped defeat the British.

The American Revolution is well under way in 1776, but things are looking bleak for General George Washington and his Continental Army. With Washington's hasty retreat from New York City in August, many think the war might soon be over. After all: how on earth is this ragtag group going to defeat its enemy, the well-trained and well-funded military of the largest empire in history?

But Washington soon realizes he can't win with military might. Instead, he must outsmart the British, so he creates a sophisticated intelligence network: the top-secret Culper Spy Ring. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger tell the fascinating stories of these long unrecognized spies: a reserved merchant, a tavern keeper, a brash young longshoreman, a curmudgeonly Long Island bachelor, a coffeehouse owner, and a mysterious woman.

This vivid and accessible young readers adaptation of the New York Times bestseller features an exclusive new introduction, extensive back matter, and eye-catching art throughout. Chronicling a crucial moment in American history, this historical thriller will excite and inspire the next generation of patriots.
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11/28/23
I’ve been reading my Charley book, the adult history one since last summer, but my critique partners suggested I need to read some children’s books from the Revolutionary period. I always take their advice, especially when it makes good sense.

Susanna’s first line caught my eye – Tomorrow I’ll find out if my brothers are dead. Talk about starting with tension! My writing friends suggested pushing up the tension in a few key places in my manuscript. It keeps kids reading!
This book also gave me another view of colonial culture and revolutionary heroes. I got to meet Benedict Arnold, General Cornwallis, and the only hero – Lafayette in its pages.

The best part about reading this middle grade novel – it’s a true story that’s fictionalized, like the book I’m writing. And like my story, it’s based on research, of the characters and the time period. It’s a great mentor text!

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​BTW – there is a prequel to this story that’s in the book Killing England . . . In January of 1781 Richmond was burned. The government escaped to Charlottesville so the British reset their target and took another swipe at it, and at 4 signers – Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Nelson, Benjamin Harrison, and Richard Henry Lee. They all escaped, thanks to Jack Jouett who did a little eavesdropping. Then he took the ride of his life. Just like Susanna, Jack’s face was scratched up by the ride. His was so bad he had scars for the rest of his life. If you’d like to read a bit more of what I wrote from the Killing England, click on this link and scan down until you see the cover:                                              http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/the-books-i-read-for-research
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​Amazon’s Description: #1 IN JUVENILE FICTION, 2020 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS ("IPPY AWARDS"); #1 IN JUVENILE FICTION, 2020 PINNACLE BOOK AWARDS; FINALIST IN FICTION: HISTORICAL, 2020BEST BOOK AWARDS.
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As the former Colonies struggle for freedom, the American Revolution is in the hands of a brave and resourceful teenage girl. At sixteen, Susanna Bolling is like America in rebellion; she craves independence. While her brothers are off fighting for the Patriots, she longs to do more than tedious household chores and attend spinning bees in sleepy City Point, Virginia. When British General Cornwallis invades her family’s Bollingbrook Plantation, she overhears his secret plan to defeat the Patriots. Much to her shock, she finds herself at the center of the war. Now America’s fight for liberty hinges on her. But can she overcome her mother’s objections, face her own fears, and outwit the famed General and his entire Army? Based on the TRUE story of revolutionary courage and conviction that’s sure to captivate readers of all ages.

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