Mrs. Benedict Arnold - by Emma Parry (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A fresh, provocative portrait of the young woman who almost ended the American Revolution.

Philadelphia in the 1770s. Peggy Shippen longs for the war she's living through to end. Though not always appreciated at home, she finds her curiosity is welcomed by a lively and influential circle of friends, including a glamorous rising star in the British army, Captain John André.

When the war separates them, Peggy is devastated--both by his absence and the horrors of ongoing conflict--before finding consolation in a man whose heroics for the Patriots have captured the world's imagination: General Benedict Arnold.

As she trades Loyalist balls for Patriot salons, entertaining the most prominent figures of early America, and navigating the country's lethal political currents, she conceives of an audacious scheme to achieve peace and her family's survival, unleashing what would become the most famous act of treason in history.

When uncertainty and bloodshed are the only constants, Mrs. Benedict Arnold asks, how far will one woman go for safety?

Review Quotes

"Peggy Shippen pops off the pages of Parry's novel--the vividly imagined story of a Philadelphia high society 'it girl' whose coming-of-age mirrors the turmoil of a nation at war with itself. In a dangerous world where Revolutionary politics infiltrate every salon and social circle, Peggy walks the knife's edge between her friendship with a suave British officer and marriage to a famed American general twice her age, Benedict Arnold. Her passions and instincts for survival propel her into a conspiracy that could alter the course of American history. In this immersive novel of love, power, and peril--all the way to its heart-stopping conclusion--the formidable Peggy Shippen-Arnold finally gets her due." --Samantha Silva, author of Love and Fury and Mr. Dickens and His Carol

"Emma Parry brings the American Revolution to life in this keenly observed, astonishing debut about a brilliant, spirited young woman caught between two great loves and two great nations. Brimming with wit and historic detail, Parry expertly embroiders a tale of courtly romance and political intrigue onto a star-spangled sampler, vividly rendering our founding fathers and mothers, and delivering an irresistible heroine in Peggy. Probing into the true nature of loyalty, patriotism, and love, Mrs. Benedict Arnold is a lush, nuanced exploration of how one woman can tip the scales of history." --Emma Brodie, author of Songs in Ursa Major

About the Author

Emma Parry is a literary agent in New York. She lives with her family in the Hudson Valley.