Do You like book Arundel (1995)?
My father claimed this was his favorite book when he was a boy, and I can see why -- Indian lore, nature lovingly described, spies, bold soldiers and lovable rogues. It's appealing still -- an almost 21st-century heroine (the book was written in the 1920's), a very subtle ear for dialect, and a persistent tone of reflection underscoring the historical setting: "In after years I heard these very folk speak of Pointe-aux-Trembles with a wagging of their heads and a smacking of their lips, as though they had found it a place of heavenly pleasure; yet I remember how full of rancor they were at the time. Thus I have learned to disbelieve the tales men tell of the delights of their younger days." (p. 393) which opens his description ending with "Now that I think back on it, Pointe-aux-Trembles was one of the pleasantest places I have ever known." (p. 399) Benedict Arnold's attack of Quebec in 1775 is a long and harsh winter journey through swamps and forests through which Roberts celebrates the human spirit at the same time he emphasizes our apparent insignificance: "In time, far in the distance, we heard a faint, thin piping, a reedy chirping such as you may hear in the late summer in Arundel, if you lie in the tall grasses of the sand dunes and listen to insects going abou their occasions. This, Paul said, was made by the army passing through the river." (p. 330)
—Bob
Arundel was written by Kenneth Roberts, a native of Maine. His historical fiction was very popular in its day (1930s-1950s), but newer generations of readers may not know of his books. Arundel is narrated by Steve Nason who joins Benedict Arnold's 1775 expedition to capture Quebec at the outset of the American Revolution. Nason's real purpose is to rescue Mary Mallinson who has been kidnapped by a Frenchman named Guerlac. Nason, his friend Cap Huff, and the rest of the expedition paddle up the Kennebec River, and then down the Chaudiere River into Canada. Nason is an earnest, likable young man, and I found myself identifying with him quickly and easily. Roberts describes this world vividly, and the epic journey through the Maine and Canadian wilderness is full of adventure and travail. Arundel, Rabble in Arms, Northwest Passage--these are all great adventure stories by Roberts, and they make history come alive!
—Alec Hastings
This 1929 historical fiction novel about the American Revolution has not been made into a movie yet and I do not know why. It's a dense, academic read, but if you can read slowly and carefully, you'll find such rich characters and very funny lines -- especially those observing women. It might be my new favorite book. And it also highlights why Americans always go for the underdog -- we WERE the underdog. The other thing I like is that it's a quest book but on familiar landscape -- the trees and animals and such are all in MY backyard. Lots of quest books have hobbits and things I don't know well. This one is true. Loved it.
—Amanda
