Finished June 26
The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning
In the town of Satucket Jane Clarke lives with her father, stepmother and younger siblings. Her father runs one of the two mills in town and there is a longstanding rivalry between the two mill families, the Clarkes and the Winslows. Jane's big rebellion is to turn down a marriage proposal that her father had expected her to accept. She feels that she wants to know the man better before entering into the marriage, but as punishment she is sent to Boston to be companion to her father's sickly Aunt Gill.
Taking place just before the Revolution, there is considerable uneasiness in Boston between the people and the soldiers. Jane tries hard to observe what is happening rather than taking others' words for incidents, especially after she becomes involved in a situation that is reported inaccurately. She feels that she helps her aunt some, and keeps an eye on the servants, Prince and Martha, who sometimes seem to be taking advantage of Aunt Gill. She also tries to meet more often with her brother who is working in the law office of John Adams, on of the top lawyers in Boston at the time. In running errands for her aunt, she becomes acquainted with Henry Knox, the manager of a local bookseller and stationer, who both visits her at her aunts and escorts her to local events.
Jane sometimes misses her home and her family, and finds herself growing closer through letters to both her stepmother Mehitable and her sister Bethiah. She also finds comfort with her stepmother's parents who have a house in Boston. By vistiing with her family and friends, she also encounters her spurned suitor Phinnie Paine and learns more about him.
This has a wealth of history and great insight into this young woman's thoughts and feelings as she learns to think and act for herself.
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