A Girl Called Samson

During the period of the American Revolution women were rarely seen and never heard. They generally did not attend school, could not own land and would never dream of being a soldier. In 1760 Deborah Samson was born. She is only a young girl when her no-good father abandons his five children and her mother has no choice but to send Deborah out as an indentured servant. But Deborah is lucky in her own way. She was taught to read and write at a young age and she was bestowed upon a kind family. The Thomas family has ten boys that teach Deborah to be tough and fast and competitive. She is not like other girls. As the war descends upon Massachusetts the boys go off, one by one to join. Deborah is a plain girl. She is tall, smart, athletic and able. It does not take long for Deborah to quietly change her appearance enough to pass as “Rob”, a 16 year old boy who will follow the brothers to war. Half the battle is keeping her secret, the other half is filled with all the things with which she excels. Deborah is smart and fearless. Behaviors that may have brought unwanted attention to her are masked by her bravery, loyalty and gumption. As her natural abilities become well known she is offered the coveted position of aide de camp to a kind and powerful general. With a surprising twist she falls in love with this man. Knowing that this is loosely based on a true story simply takes my breath away. Deborah Samson is an unknown in our history books and although this was fictionalized for our reading pleasure, I devoured this well written incredible story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐