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emceereads's review against another edition
4.0
Really 3.5 stars. I didn't realize this was the third book in a series... my mother picked this up for me, I think at a book shop in Mystic, CT or possibly in Rhode Island. As many other reviewers have said, this starts very slow, almost painfully slow. I found Jane to be passive most of the time, which was frustrating, but I think that silent conflict she felt must have been felt by many women of that time. This is a small-town girl who had been taught that being a daughter (seen in her relationship with her controlling father), a mother (Mehitable vs. her grandmother), and a woman (seen in the perceptions Aunt Gill, Henry, Phinnie, and Nate had of Jane) meant to show obedience and servitude to the men around her. The contrast between her growth and the Boston Massacre demonstrates that passive vs. passionate rebellion concept. Overall, not a bad piece of historical fiction once you get going.
rachelgertrude's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this character, both in her quiet strength of spirit and in the realistic way the author reveals her. The first interesting thing I read about Jane was that she had a "bubble in her chest" that indicated she felt disturbed by the contents of a letter she had received. Before knowing who she is, the context of the letter, or anything about the story, I knew that Jane was responding viscerally to something and taking the time to find out why.
And this is how the story is laid out - events are described, and Jane reflects on them and her reaction to them. as a reader, you participate in the mysterious nature of her colonial world, unraveling the intricacies of the characters around her, discerning. Jane hears something she trusts, but her gut responds with a twinge of warning or doubt - she comes to a conclusion about what her gut is telling her, and we find out over time if she was wrong or right.
In some ways, Jane Clarke is like an Elizabeth Bennet with the personality of a Jane Bennett, and the book, in its journey of self-discovery and development, is somewhat similar to Pride and Prejudice as well. Other interesting characters, such as Lydia and Eben Freeman, were intriguing enough in themselves to inspire me to find Gunning's earlier books, The Widow's War and Bound.
And this is how the story is laid out - events are described, and Jane reflects on them and her reaction to them. as a reader, you participate in the mysterious nature of her colonial world, unraveling the intricacies of the characters around her, discerning. Jane hears something she trusts, but her gut responds with a twinge of warning or doubt - she comes to a conclusion about what her gut is telling her, and we find out over time if she was wrong or right.
In some ways, Jane Clarke is like an Elizabeth Bennet with the personality of a Jane Bennett, and the book, in its journey of self-discovery and development, is somewhat similar to Pride and Prejudice as well. Other interesting characters, such as Lydia and Eben Freeman, were intriguing enough in themselves to inspire me to find Gunning's earlier books, The Widow's War and Bound.
curly_hair_grace's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
littleladyluna's review against another edition
4.0
Jane Clarke has lived her entire life in the small, seaside town of Satucket on Cape Cod. She helps her stepmother around the house and has begun to learn nursing skills from an elderly woman in the town, she always does exactly what is expected of her and never questions her father. Her family has been involved in a feud with the Winslow family for years and Jane has always taken her father's side; but when Mr. Winslow's horse has its ears cut off and Jane's father is blamed, a small seed of doubt is placed in Jane's mind. That small doubt seems to affect her tremendously and she even refuses Phinnie Paine, a suitor Jane's father has already approved of. When she refuses to marry Phinnie, her father banishes her to Boston to care for an ailing aunt, even though he is aware of the rising conflicts between the townspeople and the British soldiers stationed there. After reading about several accounts in the newspaper of the British cruelty toward the Bostoners, Jane is afraid to leave her aunt's house after arriving in town. Her aunt sends her on an errand one day and Jane quickly sees the tension between the soldiers and townspeople, but realizes that not all can be blamed on the soldiers. The longer Jane stays in Boston, the more she sees that both sides are to blame and when she witnesses what we now know as "The Boston Massacre," she has to decide whether to tell the truth of what she has seen or remain silent.
I remember learning about the Boston Massacre in school and how it changed the tide and lit the fire for the American Revolution. However, nothing I read in my textbooks really helped me to understand what it was like in Boston during this time. In The Rebellion of Jane Clarke, Gunning does an amazing job of showing how even though the lines were drawn, the conflict between the British and Americans was not black and white and that it is hard to lay the blame at one political side's door. Jane witnesses the soldiers being taunted and harrassed in the streets and several incidents that culminate in the idea that the town is split in two. This novel has made the Boston Massacre very real for me and helped me to understand the feelings of this era. Although the book was a bit slow moving in parts, it kept my interest the entire time and I was caught up in the drama unfolding in Boston as well as the small dramas in Jane's life. Jane was a very well written character and I enjoyed watching as she threw off the conventions of the time and made her own way. I finished this book several hours ago, and though I have started another book, I can't get the events and characters from this novel out of my mind. Overall, I thought this was a great read.
I remember learning about the Boston Massacre in school and how it changed the tide and lit the fire for the American Revolution. However, nothing I read in my textbooks really helped me to understand what it was like in Boston during this time. In The Rebellion of Jane Clarke, Gunning does an amazing job of showing how even though the lines were drawn, the conflict between the British and Americans was not black and white and that it is hard to lay the blame at one political side's door. Jane witnesses the soldiers being taunted and harrassed in the streets and several incidents that culminate in the idea that the town is split in two. This novel has made the Boston Massacre very real for me and helped me to understand the feelings of this era. Although the book was a bit slow moving in parts, it kept my interest the entire time and I was caught up in the drama unfolding in Boston as well as the small dramas in Jane's life. Jane was a very well written character and I enjoyed watching as she threw off the conventions of the time and made her own way. I finished this book several hours ago, and though I have started another book, I can't get the events and characters from this novel out of my mind. Overall, I thought this was a great read.
meli65's review
4.0
One of the better books I've read in a while -- it's historical fiction written about an interesting time (the months surrounding the Boston Massacre) with a heroine who feels like a real person with a realistic inner life and changing opinions about the people around her. Nicely done -- I'd like to read her two other books.
mslaura's review
3.0
Ratings (1 to 5)
Writing: 4
Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Emotional impact: 3
Overall rating: 3.5
Writing: 4
Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Emotional impact: 3
Overall rating: 3.5
mcurry1010's review
5.0
read for the 2nd time and thoroughly enjoyed it. was fascinated by the twists and turns of life in Boston in 1770. certainly some lessons for today on how we can become so entrenched in our beliefs, our passions that we are not able to clearly see what is really happening.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a bit at a loss at how to describe this novel -- but in a good way. Set around 1770 in tumultuous Massachusetts in the months leading up to the Boston Massacre, this novel features a young woman, Jane Clarke, who is sent from her childhood home on the Cape to care for an elderly aunt in Boston. There, she finds herself struggling to understand the fomenting rebellion in Boston and the reasons her family and friends passionate support or don't support it.
What I most enjoyed about this book -- what I kept pointing out to my wife and friends --
was the very realness of the heroine, Jane Clarke. There's so much more to this novel than just girl-on-the-cusp-of-womanhood as a parallel for the burgeoning American revolution; it felt to me to have some of the same inner turmoil and character development as a good bildungsroman (think Catcher in the Rye, but female, set in colonial America. Ish).
Unlike many historical novels that feature history as a background character with a hot romance as the star, this novel developed a number of themes that were very thoughtful explored -- and not necessarily neatly resolved. I found the story and characters moving but not sentimental; the dramatic events Jane experienced were exciting but not cartoonish or over-the-top. Jane's behavior as an independent woman was very real to me, grounded in and responding to the events around her. Most of all, I liked her -- and many of the secondary characters. There's some romance, some mystery, some intrigue, some red herrings, and a very good twist near the end. (Get it now and read it by the fourth of July to be especially nerdy for your holiday celebration!)
What I most enjoyed about this book -- what I kept pointing out to my wife and friends --
was the very realness of the heroine, Jane Clarke. There's so much more to this novel than just girl-on-the-cusp-of-womanhood as a parallel for the burgeoning American revolution; it felt to me to have some of the same inner turmoil and character development as a good bildungsroman (think Catcher in the Rye, but female, set in colonial America. Ish).
Unlike many historical novels that feature history as a background character with a hot romance as the star, this novel developed a number of themes that were very thoughtful explored -- and not necessarily neatly resolved. I found the story and characters moving but not sentimental; the dramatic events Jane experienced were exciting but not cartoonish or over-the-top. Jane's behavior as an independent woman was very real to me, grounded in and responding to the events around her. Most of all, I liked her -- and many of the secondary characters. There's some romance, some mystery, some intrigue, some red herrings, and a very good twist near the end. (Get it now and read it by the fourth of July to be especially nerdy for your holiday celebration!)
line_so_fine's review
4.0
3.5 stars. Solid historical fiction set in the period directly preceding the Revolutionary War, Jane Clarke is a level-headed heroine that has to come to terms with the dramatic political issues of that era in Boston. The language is interesting and moves quickly, and the outcome (although totally based in historical facts) does not seem predetermined as you read. Jane's father is a British loyalist, while her brother (a clerk for John Adams) is a rebel. Jane's growth into her own political opinions is believable and nuanced. Plus, there's some romance. No bodices rip or anything, but some get loosened, so there's that.
monicabhills's review
4.0
I loved the second book in this trilogy and I didn't want to read this one at first because I just didn't think it would measure up. I really enjoyed it though. Jane was a very like-able character. I learned more about the Boston Massacre. Plus there was an interesting twist. Overall a good read.