Revolutionary

By: Alex Myers

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

A fascinating retelling of the story of America’s first female soldier, Deborah Sampson Gannett, who ran away from home in 1782, successfully disguised herself as a man, and fought valiantly in the Revolutionary War

In 1782, during the final clashes of the Revolutionary War, one of our young nation’s most valiant and beloved soldiers was, secretly, a woman.

When Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army, she wasn’t just fighting for America’s independence - she was fighting for her own. Revolutionary, Alex Myers’s richly imagined and meticulously researched debut novel, brings the true story of Deborah’s struggle against a rigid colonial society back to life - and with it the courage, hope, fear, and heartbreak that shaped her journey through a country’s violent birth.

After years as an indentured servant in a sleepy Massachusetts town, chafing under the oppressive norms of colonial America, Deborah can’t contain her discontent any longer. When a sudden crisis forces her hand, she decides to finally make her escape. Embracing the peril and promise of the unknown, she cuts her hair, binds her chest, and, stealing clothes from a neighbor, rechristens herself Robert Shurtliff. It’s a desperate, dangerous, and complicated deception, and becomes only more so when, as Robert, she enlists in the Continental Army.

What follows is an inspiring, one-of-a-kind journey through an America torn apart by war: brutal winters and lethal battlefields, the trauma of combat and the cruelty of betrayal, the joy of true love and the tragedy of heartbreak. In his brilliant Revolutionary, Myers, who himself is a descendant of the historical Deborah, takes full advantage of this real-life heroine’s unique voice to celebrate the struggles for freedom, large and small, like never before.

©2020 Alex Myers (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Women are still not equal in the eyes of men 1778-2024

She was strong; but treated as a weakling, only good enough to be a servant. But as a man, she was instantly free.

Phenomenal

I enjoyed this superb book on Deborah Sampson, aka Robert Shirtliff. What a story—to serve as a man for seventeen months in the Continental Army during the waning days of the American Revolution. Her/his act was revolutionary in itself, breaking the barrier for people to serve regardless of gender. I enjoyed how the author played with and respected a person’s chosen gender, decision to be both, or neither. This book resonates today as a precursor to current debates on women’s rights, and queer transgender identity. I still think of Deb as Rob. What a tale.