A Girl Called Samson
By: Amy Harmon
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
Genre: Historical Fiction
Suggested Age: Adult, Teen
What is the book about? Based on a true story, this novel tells the story of Deborah Samson, a young woman born in 1760 whose family was torn apart by poverty and her father’s abandonment. Through her years of indentured servitude, she gains a new family, the Thomases. As the years roll by, the American Revolution draws each of the Thomas’ many sons into the fight. Deborah is left behind, feeling unfulfilled in her domestic life, while the war continues. Deborah, eventually leaves town to enlist in the Continental Army, disguised as a man. What follows is not only a depiction of what lengths Deborah would need to go to in order to hide her gender, but also how she’d need to come to terms with the brutally of 18th century warfare in early America. With the backdrop of war, is it possible for her to maintain the charade? Will she ever see her beloved Thomas brothers again? Will she be discovered? And is it possible that she’ll find love?
My Review: I thought this book was excellent. The audiobook version that I listened to was outstanding. The voice actress was very engaging and was able to convey appropriate emotions for the various scenes throughout the book. I was moved to tears more than once. I’ve heard of women who enlisted disguised as men during the Civil War, but not during the Revolution! This made Deborah’s story much more intriguing…made even more so by being true. She really was a soldier in the Continental Army and was the only woman to be granted an army pension by Congress for service during the American Revolution.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Captivating, Engrossing, Inspiring
Give This a Try if You Like… Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier by Alfred F. Young, Revolutionary by Alex Myers, Liar Temptress Soldier Spy by Karen Abbott
Rating: 5/5
