The Messenger
The Messenger tells the story of an unlikely pair: war veteran Jeremiah Jones and young Quaker Hannah Sunderland. With meticulous historical details of the turbulent times during the British occupation of Philadelphia circa 1778, its key themes are faith, familial loyalty, and deception.
As a Quaker, Hannah is forbidden to choose a political side, be it Loyalist or Rebel, but when her twin brother joins the Rebels, Hannah is torn between faith and justice. Hannah reluctantly decides to team up with Jeremiah Jones and his spy network, despite their many differences of opinion, in the effort to free prisoners and to expose war atrocities.
The alternating first-person narrative brings the emotions of the duo to the forefront, and the intrigues of the Colonials versus the Redcoats are well plotted as we learn of Jeremiah’s own story: he is maimed during one of the many battles. In an example of opposites attract, it seems that not everyone or everything will be as it appears. Hannah struggles with the pacifist ideals of her faith, and Jeremiah is not as rough as his appearance. With a convincing supporting cast, this is a compelling Christian historical set during a very important time for America.
