Fabulous debut novel. Historical details along with rich character development. Very interesting and fun to read!

The Traitor's Wife is an interesting book about Benedict Arnold and his wife. The book gave a historical view that is not taught in schools and thereby not known by people. Benedict Arnold's wife was not a very likeable sort. She seemed to be able to manipulate people to do what she wanted. Why she married Benedict Arnold in the first place is a mystery. Nevertheless, the book received four stars in this review. It is highly recommended. ( )

Historical Fiction? More like Historical Fluff-disappointing. I have read about these events a number of times and know that, what is told in this tale is a pile of dung!

I am not an expert, by any means, on any history, but I am a self-proclaimed history(I will use the word of the month-) Geek. And this book left me befuddled and bewildered.

The story is told through the eyes of the maid of Miss Peggy Shippen (who eventually marries Arnold), a Philadelphia beauty who is the darling of the English Army and the paramour of John Andre the man who would eventually turn Benedict Arnold into the re known Traitor of the Colonies.

I loved Clara Bell (the maid) and her story- if this had been the only fictional piece in the book I probably would have loved it.

Peggy Shippen was portrayed in so many different lights it was hard to wrap your head around it. In one chapter she is the astute, conniving wench she truly was-in the next breath she was pouty, prone to childish tantrums. Shippen was not the only character that seemed to jump personalities like The Three Faces Of Eve!!!!

This was Allison Pataki's first book, which is why I am giving her a little leeway. I think she was on the right track(with her background, I am again befuddled. What happened? An over-zealous editor/publisher perhaps). I am going to give her another chance and see if lessons were learned from this poor first attempt!

Give me HISTORY-not-FLUFF or call it what is-Fiction ( )

Historical fiction is not something I normally read and this book does not incline me to read any more. Was very blah and very long. Not sure how this ended up on my to read list! ( )

The best thing I can say about this book is that I finished it, although there were plenty of times when I did not think I would. If you're a big fan of heady Historical Fiction full of facts and accurate portrayals of historical events, do not pick this book up. This book was short on historical facts, and long on cliches and heavy handed generalizations. Major characters had no depth; they were completely one dimensional (we get it, already, Peggy is the most cunning and the most beautiful and an utterly despicable, irredeemable human being, no gray area there). The narrator is almost without personality and vacillates between fretfulness, simpering subservience, and naivety. The dialogue was uneven and mostly unbelievable. The book does describe an actual, interesting historical event, and for me that was it's one saving grace and its probably the reason I finished it, but I would not recommend it. ( )