Now, back to business. I recently finished reading "The Traitor's Wife" by Allison Pataki as part of my fall reading list, and boy did I enjoy it. Full disclosure: I'm a complete history nut. History has always been one of my favoritest subjects, and if I could have majored in anything I wanted (and still gotten a good job, a decent pay check, blah blah blah) I would have probably been a classics/history double major. I think the reason I've always loved history so much, particularly U.S. history, is that I've always had great history teachers, who really brought the subject to life and introduced it in a way that you really connected with it. So reading about the American Revolution through the eyes of Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold was a lovely blast from the past.
"The Traitor's Wife" is a historical tale of manipulation, seduction, conspiracy and betrayal. Young Peggy Shippen is a notoriously beautiful socialite, living a life of luxury, parties, and whimsical dalliances. Her maid, young and country-grown Clara Bell narrates as Peggy gambles, parties, and dallies with British Major John André, ignoring the political turmoil quickly ensconcing the country. Her loyalties and sympathies, which initially lie amongst the British, shift drastically and suspiciously when Benedict Arnold and the Americans arrive, driving John André and the redcoats out of Philadelphia. After briefly mourning the loss of her love, John André, Peggy seamlessly transitions to seducing General Benedict Arnold, a man nearly twice her age, and within days, has him eating out of the palm of her hand. He, blinded by her youth, beauty, and wit, and unaware of her past transgressions with a British major and her true loyalty to the British, proposes marriage, and they are married within a short time. The rest of the tale follows Peggy and Benedict as Benedict slowly but surely becomes disenchanted with George Washington and the American cause that has drained his wealth, and Peggy becomes disenchanted with her recently dis-reputed and steadily growing poorer husband. Arnold's growing disillusionment with the American revolution gives Peggy the perfect segue-way to reveal her true loyalties and connections with the British army and manipulate Benedict into working with John André, eventually leading to the betrayal that shook the country.
“I suppose the true test of character comes when facing life’s harshest blows and disappointments. When things don’t turn out how you had hoped they would, do you grow bitter? Spiteful? Blame others and spread your misery? Or do you keep your head high and walk with grace, meeting the struggles which God has placed in your path?”
Despite it being her debut novel, Allison Pataki did a truly remarkable job portraying the biggest betrayal in American history through the eyes of Peggy Shippen's maid. Her tale is quick-witted, riveting, and full of history, conspiracy, and seduction. I find it interesting that in Pataki's version, Peggy Shippen is portrayed in a much more guilty, villainous manner than Benedict Arnold, the actual conspirator. In Pataki's account of the American Revolution, Peggy Shippen is the mastermind and puppet master behind the scheme, with Arnold and André merely being her puppets. I didn't mention much of the fictional Clara Bell's story-line or involvement in my review, but I think she's a character that everyone should get to know throughout the tale, and I wouldn't do justice to her with a few brief sentences. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Traitor's Wife" and would definitely recommend it to all readers. It's a great way to brush up on a little history whilst simultaneously being swept away in a complicated story.
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