I knew by the end of the first chapter I was going to love the book. Deborah was such an endearing and amazing character and person, both in the book and in history. Her candor and passion were my favorite. I love that this was based on the real woman who made an incredible impact and did the unthinkable, enlisting in the Revolutionary War by pretending to be a man, simply because it was the only way to accomplish it. And quite honestly, I love the ending Amy gave her over the real thing so I’m not disappointed in the least by those alterations.

There were so many thought provoking and inspiring things in the story. Deborah didn’t despise who she was, only that other people limited what that could be solely because of her gender. But instead of living within those limits, she decided to break her ceiling in the only way she knew how.

There is still sometimes debate over women’s roles, although we’ve obviously made so much progress, so I understand some of her sentiment and desire for a purpose beyond what others expect us to be. I think the statement of “maybe it is because we are treasured, as John once said, but it is one thing to be treasured and it is another to be a treasure. One is valued, one is possessed, and people aren’t possessions.” Man. So much truth in that statement. Deborah’s story made me think of so many women before me who fought for themselves, were put in impossible situations just trying to follow their purpose and calling, or judged wrongly that they were trying to *be* men, simply because they believed they were capable of more.

Also, I adored John. His sacrifice, loyalty and priority for his men in an enormously brutal war, and his devotion and love for Deborah will make him hard to forget.

Thank you, Amy Harmon, for the advanced copy of the book. Absolutely loved it.