Rebellion 1776
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Middle School    Dlouhy/Atheneum    416 pp.
4/25    9781416968269    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781439157541    $10.99

Thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper, maid to a judge, lives through the Siege of Boston only to find herself in a precarious situation when British troops depart the city, her Loyalist employer leaves with them, and her father goes missing. She lies her way into the employment of a Patriot spy, Mr. Pike, whose large household includes his wealthy ward, Hannah. But what Elsbeth doesn’t count on is the smallpox epidemic that ravages Boston from spring until fall of 1776. As she continues her search for her father and contends with the housekeeper’s displeasure, Elsbeth, who previously survived smallpox, nurses five of the Pike children and their mother through the inoculation process; she also gets swept up in Hannah’s personal affairs and develops romantic feelings for a friend. War and disease speed up Elsbeth’s maturation, as does an unexpected loss before the book’s conclusion. Often a footnote in Revolutionary War history, the smallpox epidemic is the focus of Anderson’s (Chains, rev. 11/08, and sequels) compelling and well-researched tale of human frailty and perseverance, fear and courage amid dire circumstances. Through Elsbeth’s whip-smart first-person narration (with asides to readers in parentheses) plus quotes from historical letters opening each chapter, readers learn about the disease, its symptoms and deadliness, the measures taken to contain it, and people’s fear of inoculation. Anderson’s return to historical fiction highlights her mastery of the genre, with well-rounded characters, detailed storytelling, and timely subject matter that make it a must-read for today’s youth.

From the May/June 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.