Finishing Becca : A Story about Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold

Rating:
Summary: A great historical fiction novel from the eyes of a servent.
Review: Finishing Becca was historical fiction novel from the eyes of Peggy Shippen's private servant named Becca Snyng. The novel took place in the time period of the Revolutionary war. Men were risking lives while serving their countries. Instead of helping the sickly men and her country, Peggy Shippen was being pampered by her family, servents, and friends. The whole point of Becca going to work for the Shippen's was to finish herself and find her missing pieces; make herself whole. In the end of the novel Becca learned a very imporntant lesson about her life. She realized that living on a small farm with lots of love can be much better then having all of the money in the world and not being happy. Overall, I gave Finishing Becca four stars because of the way you could see her accctually doing things. The story itself was great, it was an awsome way to learn about women's roles in the past. It was also an easy read, and a probably middle school level.

Rating:
Summary: very educational! awesome book.
Review: Finnishing Becca is the story about a girl named Becca Syng, who comes to be a hand maiden to Peggy Shippen. When she is sent there to be "finnished," the only thing she learns is deciet by the time Peggy marries General Benedict Arnold, an American traitor. This book was fascinating, and it makes me feel so cool that I now know the story of two very famous Americans who lived during the Revolution. I would suggest all of Ann Rinaldi's books, they're fantastic!!! I would reccommend THE FIFTH OF MARCH(must read), In My Father's House, An Aquaintance With Darkness, The Coffin Quilt, A Break With Charity, Cast Two Shadows, The Secret of Sarah Revere, and The Last Silk Dress. They were all fantastic!

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Summary: The mystery surrounding Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold
Review: Fourteen year old Becca Syng feels like pieces of her are missing. So when her mother secures her a job as a maidservant in return for lessons in french, dancing, and needlepoint, she believes that it will help her find herself. She starts working for the Shippens, a prominent Philadelphia family who has taken great pains to remain neutral during the Revolutionary War. It is Becca's job to take care of Peggy, the most beautiful, not to mention the most spoiled, out of the four girls. Becca finds herself in a world she never thought existed, filled with balls, men, and the like. After being discarded from the British Captain Andre, Peggy sets her sights on American General Benedict Arnold. They fall in love and are soon married, despite the age differences (18 to 37). Becca is soon brought into another household, filled with deception and lies. She witnesses Peggy's influence over Arnold, coaxing him to break with the Americans. She then overhears Arnold confessing to break with the Patriots, but is caught in the process. Arnold blackmails her into not telling what she's heard by saying that he will hang her stepfather for being a double agent and that he will confiscate her farm. She is also not allowed in the city for a year and is dismissed from their services. Becca then learns with the rest of the colonies about Arnold's treason, but lives with the knowledge of having the power to stop it.
I like Ann Rinaldi's books, and I don't think any of them are bad. I love how she takes people from outside the picture to witness something important in our American history (ex.Annie Brown in Mine Eyes Have Seen, Fanny McCoy in The Coffin Quilt). This gives the reader an unbiased perspective. Not only did I learn something from this book, but I enjoyed doing so. My only complaint is that Becca's character had no depth, she was just a mindless narrator giving facts about the Shippen household and later on the Arnold household. All in all, a very informative book. Another good one, Ann Rinaldi.

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Summary: Compelling and a delightful read!!
Review: I am very interested in the Revolutionary War, and this is just another wonderful view on the war. This book has an important message, along with excitement, and details. This book has given me another view on the Revolutionary War, a view that one hardly heres of. This is a must read!

Rating:
Summary: Not one of her best...
Review: I believe this is one of Rinaldi's weakest story ever! The lack of fluency made this book hard to read. The only reason I believe that this book deserves attention is for the fact that it was a story about the once well acclaimed captain Benedict who decided to turn against the americans for the crown because of her silly selfish wife.

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Summary: FINISHING BECCA ...a book with many layers.
Review: I just finished reading FINISHING BECCA, a book that I picked up as a possible addition to a cross-curriculum unit that I present (I'm an 8th grade English teacher) with an American History teacher. We already use MY BROTHER SAM IS DEAD, and APRIL MORNING. Both are outstanding and written from young boys' perspectives. In the past, we've also used THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, but I have been disappointed with the "meat" of the book in comparison to the other two. I was looking for something of substance from a female perspective, and I believe that FINISHING BECCA meets or surpasses the "meaty" requirement. Ann Rinaldi is authoritative in her grasp of the nuances of American's Revolution, and she gives a very respectable presentation of Benedict Arnold's betrayal. I highly recommend the book.

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous read with wonderful, distinct characters
Review: I loved Finishing Becca. Ms. Rinaldi painted a wonderful illusion of the colonial times, and very realistic characters. You could understand the emotions of Becca, and couldn't help but hating some of the other vivid characters that Rinaldi colorfully illustrated in her book. An excellent storyline that is easy to follow, but makes you think. You can't put it down. A great read for anyone from young teens to adults. Rinaldi wonderfully intertwines history with fictional characters. A must-read!

Rating:
Summary: A good topic, poorly executed
Review: I purchased this book because I was reminded of a favorite from my childhood, Peggy by Lois Duncan, which is no longer in print. I wanted to revisit the history of Peggy Shippen from another author's point of view. I was torn as I read the book whether to keep going or put it down because I was interested in the historical characters but bored with the created ones. Yet even the historical characters were drawn thinly with no credible foundation for their actions. Additionally, the author's choice of words (soup bubbling on the hearth--so cliche!) and methods of conveying story (talking to the cow?) were intrusive and jarring. While this is a great topic for a historical novel that can spur readers to explore parts of history on their own, I think that the book itself is poorly executed and would have benefited from a focused editing.

Rating:
Summary: very educational! awesome book.
Review: I really enjoyed this book, even though when I went back and read it again it was a little boring. The characters are fun and mysterious. You never know what Peggy Shippen is going to do next, or what Becca uncovers about her father. All in all a great book!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Find!
Review: I really enjoyed this book, even though when I went back and read it again it was a little boring. The characters are fun and mysterious. You never know what Peggy Shippen is going to do next, or what Becca uncovers about her father. All in all a great book!