Goodreads synopsis: The Hessian tells the story of the capture, trial, and execution of a Hessian drummer boy by Americans during the Revolution. At the heart of the story is a Quaker family, who hide the boy after his landing party has been killed in an ambush. Because the captain of the Hessians had ordered the hanging of a local whom he thought might be a spy, the town militia lay in wait, massacred the Hessians, and hunted down the only survivor, Hans Pohl.
His capture and trial provide an opportunity to explore the difficult moral position that war presents, complicated by the presence of the Quaker family. The story is told from the point of view of Evan Feversham, a doctor who has seen enough of death, and an outsider in the narrow world of Puritan New England. Based on a true event.
My rating: 4 stars.
Content warnings: PG-13. Descriptions of a hanging, and graphic descriptions of wounds and treating those wounds.
Thoughts: Stories of those on the fringes of war aren't told as often, but they hold an important place in society, and should be considered in any conversation about war. And this one was told well, from a sort of perspective that might not often be thought about when considering the Revolutionary War, and it can provide another open door for conversations and self reflection. Which is what I've been saying about a lot of these books, but I still feel it is an important thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment