In 1763 and this was the mindset of the general population. Many women, as well as men, followed it without questioning or challenging its truth. However, there were some women who could not remain within the constraints of this system. There were fewer men who would recognize the value of a woman’s mind and her opinion. Abigail Adams was one such woman, brave and bold, unable to accept the confines society had placed her in. John Adams was a rare man who would encourage and enjoy his wife’s radical behavior. Theirs was a marriage many see as having romance woven through their 50 years together.
Author, Jody Hedlund, has taken this historical couple and imagined what their early courtship might have been like and pieced together Rebellious Heart to loosely convey their (the Adams’s) relationship to us. Because there isn’t a great deal of information, her creative mind spun a tale of love and heartbreak, sacrifice and loyalty, determination and courage, surrounded by the pre-Revolutionary War era. She has painted images of the unrest that most likely stirred among the colonists as our “mother” country, England, imposed taxes and unjust laws upon a people she hardly knew any longer.
Her main characters, Susanna Smith and Benjamin Ross, found themselves faced with moral and spiritual versus legal decisions. Susanna struggled with whether breaking the laws of England were right in God’s eyes, even though morally the question should be settled. The question of obeying your authorities versus obeying your conscience came to the forefront.
Should you aid an abused runaway slave, or return her to her master to be further abused, raped, or put to death as punishment for running? Is it possible that God’s law is higher than man’s? Can it be so that man’s law contradicts God’s law? If so, is it right and expedient to reject those laws and press society to seek change?
Such questions plagued the men who forged their way through the days prior to the Revolution, and is portrayed in Ben Ross’s chosen path as a Harvard Law graduate seeking justice for the oppressed. As the story progresses, we are able to glimpse into the lives of these two heroes and cheer them along.
Understanding of their time grows as well as (for me) a deep gratitude for the courage it took for those who forged the path toward the birthing of our nation, grounded on the mission statement penned and signed by 55 men known as our Declaration of Independence. This story paints a clearer picture of all that led up to the Revolution. The rattling of cages was necessary to gain our freedom from oppressive and unjust governors.
I trust you will agree when reading that this is an engaging page-turner. Jody has created characters who have such depth that their credibility as people are unwavering and their end is beautifully done, without feeling forced.
**While this book was a gift upon the agreement of acting as an influencer for the author, Jody Hedlund, the statements made in this review are not based on the generosity of the author or publisher, Bethany House.**
You'll find your copy of this book at Baker Publishing, Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, Barnes & Noble, and perhaps your local bookstore.
Happy Reading!
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