A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon

genre: historical fiction

Indentured out as a child, Deborah has had to have her home inside herself.  With her love of reading and reading as well as every kind of outdoor physical activity, Deborah's skills allow to keep up with even the fastest of the boys on the farm where she works. When talk of rebellion begins to spread throughout the Massachusetts colony, Deborah sees that this might be her chance to break free from the invisible chains of being a woman.  But will the rewards of joining the fight be worth what it will cost to hide who she truly is?

I have to be honest, it took me 40% of my kindle book to get into this.  I don't know why it just wasn't capturing my attention.  It took me WAY to long to finish that 40%.  But once she's actually in the war and a slow burn but highly satisfying romantic thread begins, I couldn't put it down.  I love that I am so familiar with the part of the country where the fighting took place and Deborah as a cross-dressing soldier is totally fearless in some ways while still so human in others.  I liked the story from her point of view.  There is so much here about the limits placed on women throughout our country's history and in the end, I was really glad I stuck with this story.  I do recommend it - the story of Deborah Samson is worth knowing.