Nov. 10: All in the Family!

The Reverend Jacob Bailey, Maine Loyalist: For God, King, Country, and for Self by James S. Leamon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, my father wrote this book, so there you go! However, I also found this to be a fascinating new take on the American Revolution and the politics of revolution and religion. It's dense, not a breeze-through, and it took me a while to get going (probably because I only had time to read JB right before bed!), but the picture of a man who felt strongly that the order represented by Great Britain was God-ordained and right, AND that the oath he had taken to the church affiliated with that order could not be broken became increasingly compelling.

As a kid, I always assumed, fired by Johnny Tremain and other stories of plucky, independent rebels, that my family would have been rebels too--and I still remember my siblings' and my collective shock when my father mentioned that we'd probably have headed for Nova Scotia as soon as possible. Reading JB, I can see what he meant. I can also appreciate much more clearly the trauma that our country's birth represented for all concerned. JB's lingering "startle response" is only one visible sign.

I am delighted that I read this analysis. As an American, a person of faith, a Mainer, AND as a Leamon, I found it valuable and enlightening. Good job, Dad!


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