Williamsburg: Virginia on the Eve of Revolution (ISBN 1440444900)

Time Traveling. . .:
For aficionados too long separated from Colonial Williamsburg -- and I confess to being one -- Jack McLaughlin's WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA ON THE EVE OF REVOLUTION is just the tonic. Its pages are chockablock with names we know from the revolutionary generation (Colonel Washington, Patrick Henry, and George Wythe are among them), along with a fictional lady spy seeking to advance the Loyalist cause. On display in these pages is the same eye for historic detail of McLaughlin's landmark JEFFERSON AND MONTICELLO. Using the rich diction and a well-imagined story, McLaughlin takes us on an engaging armchair journey into the past.

A vivid and fascinating look at colonial America:
Good historical fiction for the well-educated reader is very hard to find, which makes Jack McLaughlin's book a much-needed addition to the genre. Packed with fascinating period detail and historical figures as well as a lively plot, WILLIAMSBURG is a treat that won't offend your intellect nor disappoint your appetite for romance and adventure. The principal characters, Kathryn Sheridan and James Leslie, are fictional, but they rub shoulders with everyone from Lord Botetourt to Thomas Jefferson. McLaughlin is a Jefferson scholar, so the wealth of details surrounding Jefferson's courtship and marriage to Patty Wayles isn't surprising, but he treats all of his characters to the same keen-eyed observation. In WILLIAMSBURG you will find no cringe-inducing anachronisms; nor will you have to suspend your disbelief to accept the dialogue as true to the period. Take McLaughlin's description of the heroine Kathryn's dress for a formal dinner: "Kathryn chose a pink silk taffeta gown finely worked with an intricate floral pattern. The neckline was scooped to a London cut, so she wore a wisp of transparent lawn across her bosom. her shoes were covered in the same material as the dress, and her hair, braided around a lace pinner cap, was lightly powdered." In one section of the book, composed entirely of letters, not only the tone but the look of the writing from this period is faithfully represented. But this is no dry historical tome. The central romance is lively and engrossing, with unexpected twists and plenty of bodice-ripping. It will thoroughly satisfy readers of historical romance novels, yet it is not a "women's" novel in the traditional sense. It contains a quantity of information about the politics and events of the day (particularly exciting is the account of the Great Fresh), and offers an interesting glimpse into the complicated code of honor that dictated duels, uneasy alliances, and special responsibilities unimaginable today. And the presentation of slavery is fascinating, with as many shades of gray as any reader could desire. I recommend WILLIAMSBURG to readers looking for an historically faithful, exciting romance with all the detail of a fine Victorian novel.