First published 2009
General George Washington stares across the icy Delaware River on Christmas night 1776. His army shrinks daily as soldiers abandon camp under cover of darkness. Five months of losses have broken morale. Washington questions his leadership while preparing for a desperate assault on Trenton. In Philadelphia, Thomas Paine rushes to print The Crisis, his new pamphlet meant to rally American spirits. Private Jonathan Van Dorn faces his own crisis when battle forces him to choose between the revolutionary cause and his brother, who fights for the British. Three men navigate the Revolution's bleakest moment, each carrying private fears that mirror the young nation's struggle for survival. Their personal battles reveal the human cost of founding America.
Genres: historical-fiction, war, military-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, personal-struggles
Setting: Delaware River, Trenton, Philadelphia
Period: Christmas 1776, American Revolution
345 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Dunne Books