A young woman coming of age during the American Revolution risks everything to become a journalist—uncovering war, corruption, and truth in a world that wants her silent. Author Jane Hulse talks to Book Glow about her Sarah Barrett American Revolution Series.

Your Sarah Barrett American Revolution Series shines a light on voices often overlooked in Revolutionary War fiction, especially colonists who opposed independence. What first drew you to exploring this side of history?

I grew up in New Hampshire, surrounded by history. My dad was enthralled with all things from the colonial period, especially our big, boxy house, built in the 1790s. Once on a hike deep in the woods, he showed me a cave where a loyalist—a British sympathizer—hid during the war to escape being hounded by patriots. Until then I thought just about everyone supported the Revolution. I came to learn that nearly a third of the colonists backed the British and paid heavily for their loyalty. They were tarred and feathered, jailed, their property destroyed. Many fled to Canada to escape the abuse.

Sarah Barrett is such a compelling heroine—ambitious, fearless, and determined to become a journalist in a world that dismisses women’s voices. How did her character first come to you, and how has she evolved across the three books?

When I first imagined Sarah, it was in the context of a young girl caught between a publisher father whose newspaper backs the British and virtually a whole town that backs the Revolution. She’s influenced by her father, whom she idolizes, but gradually finds she can make up her own mind about the war and everything else. She’s outspoken to a fault in the earlier books, often rubbing people the wrong way. As she matures, she learns to rein in her brash qualities without sacrificing her opinions. She goes from being a self-absorbed girl to a compassionate, but spirited woman in Spanktown Papers.

In Outcasts of Essex, Sarah faces both political division and a devastating smallpox epidemic. What kind of historical research went into recreating everyday life during that turbulent period?

I knew nothing about smallpox and the crude method of vaccination that was very controversial at the time. It’s kind of gross, but it worked this way: A doctor would first gather pus from a person infected with the pox. Then he would jam it into a cut he made on the healthy recipient’s arm. The recipient suffered a mild case of smallpox and was forever immune—unless he died in the process. In addition to reading several books about smallpox, I scoured diaries of people who lived through the epidemics to get a feel for how risky it was to go through inoculation—and how dangerous it was not to do it. 

Prisoner of Wallabout Bay explores the horrific conditions aboard British prison ships during the Revolutionary War. Was there a particular historical discovery or account that inspired this story?

I stumbled upon an amazing nonfiction account: The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn, by Robert Watson. It gruesomely narrates how around 11,500 prisoners died of starvation, disease and abuse. Then I read a few diaries of men who either survived it or successfully escaped the ships. Their tales were gripping.

Your background in journalism clearly influences the series, especially Sarah’s determination to uncover the truth despite resistance from those in power. How much of your own experience as a reporter found its way into her character?

My own years as a reporter definitely crept into Sarah’s character. We are both dogged and curious. However, Sarah is outspoken, not afraid to question authority. As a kid, I was painfully shy and even as an adult more reserved than Sarah. There is much about Sarah that I envy, especially her fearlessness. Still, my newspaper years pushed me to cultivate sources, thoroughly check their stories, and stand up to people who tried to keep important stories out of the paper.

Spanktown Papers centers on a real historical controversy involving Quaker pacifists accused of secretly aiding the British. What fascinated you most about this little-known chapter of Revolutionary War history?

The name, Spanktown! It’s now part of Rahway, N.J., and I went to some lengths to find out how it got its name. I found legends but nothing conclusive. Seriously, I was stunned that these powerful men could be locked up and banished for their pacifism, but more fascinated that their wives secretly mounted an effort to free them. It was a time when a woman, a married woman especially, was powerless—considered the property of her husband with virtually no rights or voice. At the same time, I was fascinated by Quaker women who were ahead of their time on issues of women’s rights, education, and abolition.

Across the series, Sarah repeatedly challenges expectations placed on women in the eighteenth century. Why was it important to you to tell the story of the Revolution through the eyes of a young woman determined to write and investigate?

I think it’s important for women today to be reminded of how far we’ve come and what a tough journey it’s been. And it’s not over! As a journalist, Sarah had to fight for a voice in a man’s world. There were only a handful of women journalists at the time of the Revolution. Over the last 250 years, things have gradually shifted. Four years ago, newsrooms were at least 46 percent women, according to a Pew Research Center survey.  I’m sure that trend will continue.

You grew up surrounded by Revolutionary War history in New Hampshire. How did that shape your imagination as a historical novelist?

As a young girl, I read every volume in the Little Maid series about the war in the 13 colonies. My home was a treasure trove of colonial history. Each room had a fireplace, and my parents furnished the house with colonial touches, like grandfather clocks, bed warmers, fireplace bellows, dressers. My father had a collection of guns used during the war. Outside my bedroom, there was an old spinning wheel. Looking across the street, I could see the tavern (now a museum) where the Minutemen rallied in April, 1775, before marching off to fight the British. It was everywhere—so many businesses when I was growing up were Yankee this or Colonial that.

As we celebrate America 250 and the United States Semiquincentennial celebrations on July 4, what do you hope modern readers take away from revisiting Revolutionary-era history during this milestone anniversary year?

Most of us grew up thinking it was a clearcut war between all the colonists and the British. I hope they realize now that the war was really a civil war that split families and communities over which side to support. There were heroes and villains on both sides.

After following Sarah through war, political unrest, danger, and romance across three books, what do you think readers will love most about her journey—and do you see more stories ahead for her?

I think readers will love that Sarah is flawed, and at times she’s her own worst enemy. As for the future, I wouldn’t rule out another adventure for our spirited heroine. Though I’ve also become interested in a later era of American history that would be of particular interest to those who have been gripped by the stories about Sarah. Stay tuned!

Visit our Reading Essentials section to discover the best bookshelves, reading chairs, book lights for reading at night, and more!

Receive top book recommendations directly in your inbox.