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Book: Fields of the Fatherless by Elaine Marie Cooper

categories: Book, Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Inspirational, Colonial American Fiction, Massachusetts History, Historical Fiction

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Elaine Marie Cooper

about this book: "Fields of the Fatherless" is a unique novel about the first day of the American Revolution. Told through the eyes of an 18-year-old woman, a reader is not only transported back over 200 years to see life as it was in Colonial America , but learns that the worst battle of the day took place not in Lexington or Concord, but in a small village called Menotomy. Although it is fiction, "Fields of the Fatherless" is based on a true story. It is a novel of courage, self-sacrifice and forgiveness.

This story was inspired by the house up the street in my hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts. I didn't know while growing up and walking by the old manse that a significant historical event had occurred there. Smitten with history, I went back to my hometown as an adult and researched the events that took place there and was startled to learn of its significance at the start of the Revolutionary War. Although some of the facts in this novel appear made up, they are in fact, true. Truth can be stranger than fiction, as they say. "Fields of the Fatherless" proves this old adage well.

The title is from the Proverbs and seemed to fit the story well. I've often thought it a very poetic phrase that captured my attention whenever I read it. The Proverb says:"Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee." Proverbs 23: 10

I'm so grateful that the town of Menotomy Village (now known as Arlington) did not "remove the old landmark." It stands as a testimony to the bravery of the citizens of the colony of Massachusetts in the year 1775. It is a monument to remind us of the sacrifice of so many who fight for freedom.

Reviewers from Amazon (currently at 104) rate "Fields of the Fatherless" at 4.8 out of 5 stars. A few statements from reviews:

- "From the moment I read the first page, I was hooked"
- "A classic piece of American history"
- "When you open this book, get ready to step back in time"