By Jayna Baas

I’m always on the lookout for good Revolutionary War fiction – bonus if it has anything to do with frontier fighting. While this book technically takes place before the war, it sets the stage for what is about to come with the same urgency as tea floating in the Boston harbor. And I can tell that the author watched my favorite movie, The Patriot, a few times! 

Robert Boothe was a traveling circuit rider in North Carolina until he married and settled down. Now he is a Regulator and a Baptist preacher – a thorn in the side of the Church of England and corrupt government. As tensions rise, he finds himself on the run from Colonel Drake, the man tasked with keeping law and order in the colony. But Robert Boothe also has a family and congregation to care for. His presence endangers them, yet he can’t leave them behind. He’ll have to shepherd his flock and take on the wolves. And pray he hasn’t made a decision that will kill them all.

Pros: I love learning the behind-the-scenes events that led up to the American Revolution. While most books focus on the Sons of Liberty in New England, the Carolinas were also embroiled in an absolute mess – something most novels ignore. Even the “good guys” were split into different factions with religion, economics, and location all playing factors in the division. Blood was shed well before Lexington and Concord, and the rebels and regulators lived with the constant threat of imprisonment and execution. 

Cons: While the research was extremely well-done, the writing style wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. The distant third person was jarring and some of the dialogue seemed excessive. I kept reading because I was interested in the story, but it was easy to put down at times. Had I read this book when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have minded, but I’m a bit pickier now. Thinking back, it reminds me of the Daniel Boone TV series I couldn’t get enough of in high school. 

Bottom Line: A strong Christian perspective of the oft-overlooked rebellion and persecution leading up to the Revolutionary War in North Carolina.