The Rebels (Kent Family Chronicles)

Rating:
Summary: Book 2 of a great series
Review: Book 2 0f The Kent Family Chronicles is The Rebels.Philip Kent is now a serving soldier in George Washingtons rebel army,enduring cold,starvation and all the privations of war. He recieves a letter from his wife,Anne whom he has left in Boston with their infant son,Abraham,who tells him of her worries about the unwanted attention of a sea captain who is connected to the shipping firm with whom they have invested their savings.A new character is introduced,Judson Fletcher, a dissolute drunkard and family black sheep who is a warped soul because of his love for another mans wife and the dislike of his father. The War of Independence is in its main stages in this book with the names of many well known soldiers and characters of historical importance being included--it's a wonderfully easy way to learn history within the context of a family saga.

Rating:
Summary: Can't beat the Kent Chronicles
Review: I love this entire series, and The Rebels is where the twists and turns of family fortune shift into high gear (drama?).

Rating:
Summary: Guilty pleasure
Review: John Jakes has become my favorite guilty pleasure. His books read fast and have plenty of action and melodrama (kind of like he wrote them with a miniseries in mind...hmm...). They're just trashy enough that you feel like you're having fun, and just historical enough that you feel like you're learning something. I loved the North and South miniseries, and I loved the Crown family books. I wasn't sure I would be as intrigued by the revolutionary period, but I'm falling in love with the characters - I had to run out to the bookstore and get "The Seekers" right after I finished "The Rebels!"