Eighteen-year-old Peggy Shippen, the favorite youngest daughter of a Philadelphia judge, has golden curls, a pretty face, a quick wit, and an insatiable desire for life's finer things. The most popular belle in local society, Peggy adores the handsome redcoats occupying her city, especially army officer John André, and connives to keep him close.
But when British troops evacuate Philly in June 1778, and new military commander Benedict Arnold declares martial law, Peggy uses all her wiles to attract the burly major-general and establish herself as a fervent patriot – especially if it means that luxurious goods left behind by the British will be given to her as gifts. Prone to tantrums when plans don't go her way, Peggy is that rare creature who can get away with screaming in ALL CAPS without it seeming exaggerated.
Wisely, Pataki doesn't put readers into the head of this willful, selfish woman. Instead, we can sit back and watch her entertaining antics through the eyes of her new maid, Clara Bell. Although grateful for her position in the Shippen household and dedicated to her job, Clara quietly believes in the American ideals of liberty and self-determination. As Peggy and Arnold's courtship gains ground, Clara sees Peggy encourage his resentment over the poor treatment and slights he received from the Continental Congress, who refuse to repay the debts Arnold incurred on the army's behalf.
Treated more kindly by Arnold than her mistress, though compelled to serve them both, Clara becomes an unwilling party to their plans as Peggy persuades her disillusioned husband to switch sides, with the secret assistance of her old flame, John André.
With her stirring plot about, well, a stirring plot, Pataki proves herself adept at distilling these complex historical circumstances into an easy-to-read fictionalized story. The Traitor's Wife reads much more quickly than its nearly 500-page length suggests. She provides visually appealing scene-setting details on the Shippens' upper-class Philadelphia household and looks beyond the famous figures to portray the less privileged lives of their servants. Although relegated to the sidelines in Peggy's view, Clara experiences her own touching love story and grows in inner strength over time.
The basics of the story are anchored in history, but there are some mistakes in the details. There was no "genteel British accent" in the late 18th century, for example – the colonists and British would have sounded about the same back then – and it feels odd to have Clara reflect on "all these years" she spent at Peggy's beck and call when the entire book spans 1778 to 1780.
Still, Pataki is a talented writer with a bright future in historical fiction; she successfully revives this centuries-old tale of deceit, manipulation, and lost honor and makes it feel fresh. Those who mistakenly believe American-set historical fiction is dreary and unexciting will likely find themselves changing their minds.
The Traitor's Wife was published on February 11th by Howard/Simon & Schuster ($14.99/$16.99 in Canada, trade pb, 457pp + notes). Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC.
This sounds like a great book! I'm adding it to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun read, and a good intro to the characters.
DeleteAnd I should say that when I posted this review earlier tonight, I didn't realize that it had been promoted on the Today show this morning, and that as a result it's now a #2 Amazon bestseller and temporarily sold out/delayed in shipping. What timing :)
Sounds fascinating! Her father was a much-beloved Governor here in NY, so she grew up surrounded by history.
ReplyDeleteShe spoke about that in her notes at the end, growing up in the Hudson River Valley and hearing all of these old stories. It's such a beautiful area of the country, too.
DeleteI can no longer read fiction that promotes the American War of Independence as "this side good, that side bad." They were both pretty awful when you look into the documents and the details.
ReplyDeleteSerendipitously, just today, I mused about one of the very very very bad parts of the War for Independence: Removal of Native Americans, which the war was fueled by, hugely, particularly in the north, just as protection for slavery -- and anger about being indebted to English merchants -- fueled so largely many southern gentlemen's determination for war.
Love, C.
I wouldn't say this novel gives that kind of interpretation of the war; if it did, I doubt I'd have enjoyed it! It is commercially oriented, and readers looking for Serious Interpretations should look elsewhere, but I did feel for Arnold in this one. John Ensor Harr's Dark Eagle is my favorite novel about him, and it not only covers a wider range of years but looks deeply into the reasons for his decisions. It's been years since I read it, but Peggy doesn't come off looking very well there either. (BA is a distant cousin of mine; ever since I found that out, I've been looking out for bios and novels about him.)
DeleteBenedict Arnold is an interesting figure too. His profile is large enough that he becomes one of the few that we look at for the stories of disillusion of those who once supported independence. There were many more than history tells us about because they didn't have such a high recognition level.
DeleteWith so many of the presidents of the new nation coming out of Virginia where Arnold led so many engagements on behalf of the British, he certainly couldn't come out well.
Then there's the Peggy Shippen contribution. I don't know anywhere near as much as I'd like about the Philadelphia British occupation. In any case she, like Arnold, is so contrary to the prevailing myth of Independence, I'm almost surprised they are even remembered in our prevailing historical narrative. Doubtless, again, that's due to his rank before he decided to move to the British side.
The more you look at him, then her, then the two together, the more interesting it gets!
Love, C.
I just came across a relatively new bio of Peggy Shippen at the Museum of the American Revolution site - Treacherous Beauty, by Mark Jacob & Stephen Case. It's consistent with what's in Pataki's novel, although the novel ends before they left for Britain. I plan to get myself a copy. Peggy Shippen's contribution fascinates me, particularly since information tying her to Arnold's decision didn't come out until after her death.
DeleteYou're right that Arnold's story of disillusion is really the one that stands out. And he wouldn't have been appointed military governor in Philadelphia in the first place if not for his career and high rank up to that point. Not surprisingly, his true role in the historical narrative is more complex than is typically thought :)
I have some doubts about almost anything Madame Jumel states: she was an inveterate liar as well as someone, who, often from necessity, refabricated the details and even the outlines of her own life. One might see her dislike of Shippen -- as she disliked most younger and beautiful, popular women -- as coloring what she says about Shippen.
DeleteBurr tends more toward truthfullness about himself and others -- that's my opinion, anyway, after countless hours in the company of Madame, Burr, Hamilton etc. When Burr lies, it's about something Very Large, and it's because he's not sure himself what he's about, as in the Louisiana adventure for which TJ wanted to hang him --Chief Justice Marshall -- and the prosecution's ineptness -- did not allow that to happen -- and thus, long after the collision of Burr and Madame!
I spend a lot of time at the Jumel Mansion, and in the company of experts in her life and times, and thus, in Burr and Hamilton too, including descendants. We staged a mock debate between Burr and Hamilton last spring, among other events.
Love, C.
The role of money and debt among the leaders of the revolution is fascinating. Not everyone was willing to sacrifice "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." Especially fortunes. This sounds like an excellent premise.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! I agree - it makes for a fascinating subject for study as a motivating factor, both on the national and individual levels.
DeleteNice Review! I bought the book on the exact day of its release. It was still in the storage room of the bookstore for they have not yet put it on the shelves. That was how excited I was for this book. I am currently reading it.
ReplyDeleteThat's great - and it's good for bookstores to know customers are eagerly anticipating books! If you'll be reviewing it in the future, I'll look forward to reading your thoughts.
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