Title: The White Cockade: A Novel of the American Revolution
Author: Mark James Miller
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN: 978-1684337798
Pages: 303
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Philip Zozzaro
Pacific Book Review
The year is 1775; the rumblings of rebellion are getting too loud to ignore. The spirit of discord hangs heavily in the air between the American Colonies and their overseers in Great Britain. The Hartford Family lives near the epicenter of the Independence Movement in Boston. Benjamin Hartford is the patriarch of the large family (three boys, three girls), but has been considerably weakened by a failing heart. His son, Josiah, is viewed as the heir to Benjamin’s shipbuilding empire. Josiah views the rift between the Colonies and King George III’s England as fixable. Josiah’s brother, Walter, who performs covert acts with the Sons of Liberty, holds opposing views. A visit by Josiah’s best friend and unofficial member of the family, Hugo Chamberlain, proves foreboding.
Hugo has been a lifelong friend of the Hartford family over the years. His fraught relationship with his abusive father led to Hugo seeking a loving environment with the Hartfords, where Hugo and Josiah were inseparable. Hugo has come back as an Officer with the British Army, much to the surprise of the Hartford family. Tension is apparent immediately between Hugo and Walter. Josiah wants to keep the peace, and he goes out to a local tavern with Hugo. Josiah is taken aback by the near martial like attitude of the British soldiers, especially Hugo’s friend, Banastre Tarleton. Josiah sees the hostilities between both groups start to ramp up with the passing of each day.
Josiah, a very intelligent man, has problems of his own making. Besides the turmoil with Hugo and Walter, two women are desirous of Josiah’s affections. Alice, a beautiful Irish maid, has been having nighttime assignations with Josiah, while Josiah has conflicting feelings for longtime friend Mercy Willingham. As the dispute between the Colonies and the British threaten to come to a head, Josiah’s friendship with Hugo may just be irrevocably broken. As word spreads about the pending British march on Concord, Josiah rushes to locate his younger brother Patrick and get him to safe quarters. Fate proves to have other designs, and Josiah gains baptism by fire in the American Revolution. Life will never be the same for the Hartfords.
The White Cockade excels as a spirited tale of family, friendship, love and loss amid the blistering conflict of the American Revolution. The dramatic narrative succeeds in hooking the audience from its inception, as the drums of war echo louder with each chapter. Readers see Josiah Hartford’s attributes evolve from: normal to hero; pacifist turned warrior; indecisive to determined – as the circumstances of war alter his life’s trajectory.
Author Mark James Miller created a highly spirited book from beginning to end in The White Cockade: A Novel of the American Revolution. For fans of historical fiction, this is a must-read novel. For others, it will likely display a different view of history, one as being made up of people, both ordinary and extraordinary, and the decisions they make.
