The Messenger by Siri Mitchell is a novel set during the Revolutionary War. The story is about Hannah, a Quaker woman, and a wounded tavern owner, Jeremiah. The two team up as spies during the war when Hannah’s brother is imprisoned by the British army.
Storyline
“Hannah Sunderland has never questioned her unwavering Quaker beliefs…until the Friends forbid her to visit her twin brother in jail. But when Jeremiah Jones, a Colonial spy, seeks her out to help rescue her brother and other Colonial soldiers, she’s forced to confront her beliefs—and her unexpected feelings for Jeremiah—head on. As lives hang in the balance, must Hannah choose between forsaking those she loves and abandoning the bedrock of her faith?” (Bethany House)
Overall Thoughts
It was really hard for me to get into The Messenger. Even though the story takes place during the Revolutionary War the use of “thee” and “thy” just seemed forced and didn’t seem to work with the rest of the dialogue. However, it wasn’t long until I wanted to see how this non-deceiving Quaker woman would turn out. I had to know, would she bend her strict religious ways or would she stand firm in her beliefs? Would her mission be successful? Overall, I was pleasantly surprised especially after the rough beginning.
| A Mommy Talks Reviews: The featured product for this review was provided to me, at no cost, by Bethany House. All opinions expressed are my own. If you’d are interested in signing up to receive review copies from Bethany House, head to www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers! |
I’m so glad you enjoyed my book!
Quakers used ‘thee’ and ‘thy’ because they were considered a less formal way of referring to a person. Believing that all people were equal in God’s eyes, they didn’t want to show people varying levels of respect. Their choice of ‘thee’ and ‘thy’ v. ‘you’ and ‘your’ would have been the equivalent of a French speaker addressing someone as ‘tu’ instead of ‘vous’. Those were the only anachronistic words they used. The rest of their speaking patterns and word choices were were the same as the population at large.
Thanks for taking the time to write and post a review.
Happy reading!
Siri