4/7/22

Second in a series that you enjoyed reading (perfect timing just slightly after USA's bicentenial). Here's what you wrote in 1984: "Second in bicentenial series. Fight for America's freedom continues as Kent dynasty begins, tempered with Fletcher blood." ( )

Well written. ( )

It's really tough to put this series down. It's fast paced, a bit of a historical soap opera, with a fantastic look at America's history for another couple of years of the Revolutionary War. In this book, we're introduced to another major character & get great glimpse into the lifestyle of Virginia. We're still keeping up with Philip Kent, Boston, & the Army.

The sacrifices the men in the Colonial Army made were incredible. Poorly led & supplied, far away from their homes & families, these men stuck through incredible hardships. Lack of food, clothing, boots, training, & medical care that made even a minor injury life threatening. Their families had to fend for themselves & the mail was iffy, so they couldn't even keep track of what was happening.

Slavery in VA, the westward expansion into Kentucky, Clark & the western frontier were also covered. No great detail, but a few glimpses of the folks that lived & traveled there did a great job of giving me some perspective on the times & people. George Clark makes a few appearances, too.

Another interesting note was book piracy. Apparently everybody did it even though it was illegal, but the financial penalty was so small, it wasn't worth the time to prosecute for most. Our hero is plans to start his book selling business by republishing Thomas Paine's works. He doesn't plan on paying for them, just getting his hands on all the pamphlets he can, printing & binding them nicely. Imagine that!

On to the next, [b:The Seekers|71772|The Seekers (Kent Family Chronicles, #3)|John Jakes|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309206553s/71772.jpg|2707905]! ( )

I read the Kent Family Chronicles a LONG time ago, but I loved every one of them...I thought they were great for portraying history.

I enjoyed the family as they continued through all the books...I may have to re-read them some day. ( )