Reviews for Brave Enemies
Review - Brave Enemies
Why I read the book: Read about it when it first came out and put in on my “to read” list.
What the book was about: During the Revolutionary War, in North Carolina, 16-year-old Josie Summers lives with her mother and step-father. As the chaos and violence of war increases, Josie’s mother goes insane. Josie’s step-father rapes her while her mother watched, then accuses her of being a hussy. Josie waits outside and kills her step-father with an axe.
Josie disguises herself as a boy and runs off into the woods. A few days later, she comes upon a church where traveling pastor John Trethman is preaching. He takes pity of the young “boy” Joseph and takes him on as an assistant. When he eventually discovers that Joseph is a girl, he is angry at first, then falls in love. They make love, which makes Trethman feel guilty, so he performs a marriage ceremony between them.
Tories show up and accuse Trethman of being a spy. They burn his cabin and leave Josie tied to a tree. She escapes and, after wandering for a while, ends up in a militia unit headed for the Cowpens to join Daniel Morgan in his fight against Tarleton. Josie discovers that she is pregnant, and the sergeant of her unit discovers she’s a girl and makes threats. Trethman is taken to Tarleton’s camp and made the chaplain.
At the battle of Cowpens, Josie fights with the militia and is wounded in the foot. Traveling in a wagon with the wounded after the battle, she hears John talking to some men. She gets his attention, and as the book ends, he’s bending over her.
What I liked about the book: I imagine it was realistic in its portrayal of the horrors of war. The description of the battle of Cowpens was good. It was sympathetic to Christianity and John’s ministry, even quoting quite a bit of Scripture.
What I didn’t like about the book: I find it hard to believe anyone could live in a one-room cabin with a 16-year-old girl for very long without figuring out she was a girl. John’s personality was a bit too inconsistent, one moment determined in his faith, the next submitting to his desires. While the book was interesting, it somehow missed being really good.
Recommendation: Somewhat like Cold Mountain, with lyric moments mixed with descriptions of cruelty and crudeness. That’s real, I know, but it can be portrayed without this level of graphicness.
What the book was about: During the Revolutionary War, in North Carolina, 16-year-old Josie Summers lives with her mother and step-father. As the chaos and violence of war increases, Josie’s mother goes insane. Josie’s step-father rapes her while her mother watched, then accuses her of being a hussy. Josie waits outside and kills her step-father with an axe.
Josie disguises herself as a boy and runs off into the woods. A few days later, she comes upon a church where traveling pastor John Trethman is preaching. He takes pity of the young “boy” Joseph and takes him on as an assistant. When he eventually discovers that Joseph is a girl, he is angry at first, then falls in love. They make love, which makes Trethman feel guilty, so he performs a marriage ceremony between them.
Tories show up and accuse Trethman of being a spy. They burn his cabin and leave Josie tied to a tree. She escapes and, after wandering for a while, ends up in a militia unit headed for the Cowpens to join Daniel Morgan in his fight against Tarleton. Josie discovers that she is pregnant, and the sergeant of her unit discovers she’s a girl and makes threats. Trethman is taken to Tarleton’s camp and made the chaplain.
At the battle of Cowpens, Josie fights with the militia and is wounded in the foot. Traveling in a wagon with the wounded after the battle, she hears John talking to some men. She gets his attention, and as the book ends, he’s bending over her.
What I liked about the book: I imagine it was realistic in its portrayal of the horrors of war. The description of the battle of Cowpens was good. It was sympathetic to Christianity and John’s ministry, even quoting quite a bit of Scripture.
What I didn’t like about the book: I find it hard to believe anyone could live in a one-room cabin with a 16-year-old girl for very long without figuring out she was a girl. John’s personality was a bit too inconsistent, one moment determined in his faith, the next submitting to his desires. While the book was interesting, it somehow missed being really good.
Recommendation: Somewhat like Cold Mountain, with lyric moments mixed with descriptions of cruelty and crudeness. That’s real, I know, but it can be portrayed without this level of graphicness.
Reviewed by Roger on 2008-08-20 14:23:41