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Synopsis:
Everyone knows Benedict Arnold — the Revolutionary War general who betrayed America and fled to the British — as history’s most notorious turncoat. Many know Arnold’s co-conspirator, Major John Andre, who was apprehended with Arnold’s documents in his boots and hanged at the orders of General George Washington. But few know of the integral third character in the plot: a charming young woman who not only contributed to the betrayal but orchestrated it.
Socialite Peggy Shippen is half Benedict Arnold’s age when she seduces the war hero during his stint as military commander of Philadelphia. Blinded by his young bride’s beauty and wit, Arnold does not realize that she harbors a secret: loyalty to the British. Nor does he know that she hides a past romance with the handsome British spy John Andre. Peggy watches as her husband, crippled from battle wounds and in debt from years of service to the colonies, grows ever more disillusioned with his hero, Washington, and the American cause. Together with her former love and her disaffected husband, Peggy hatches the plot to deliver West Point to the British and, in exchange, win fame and fortune for herself and Arnold.
My Review:
3/5 stars. This book took me a long time to get through because the pacing is slow. The characters are also not very compelling. I wasn’t invested in the story — it didn’t feel like there were any stakes. I liked the general vibe of this book, though. It reminded me a little of a version of Downton Abbey set in an older time period. The ending is also very sweet and satisfying.
While most of the time The Traitor’s Wife moves too slowly, the pacing is also kind of inconsistent. Sometimes the events of one month or less take up three chapters, but other times many months pass in the span of just one chapter. That made it even harder to follow along. I was bored when nothing happened for a while then had whiplash when it was suddenly five months later.
As for the plot itself, I didn’t find it very engaging. Despite it being a pretty intense situation unfolding, the stakes did not feel high. I wasn’t emotionally invested or on edge waiting to see how it turned out. It’s not just a situation of knowing it would be resolved — I’ve read plenty of historical fiction where I know the outcome but still get invested. I can’t put my finger on why the stakes didn’t feel high, but they didn’t.
Rated: Moderate. A few uses of mild language and God’s name taken in vain. A lot of kissing and references to sex, but nothing graphic. There is violence, but not graphic. It’s a book about war, but nothing is talked about much or shown. Characters get drunk often.
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