TINKER is alternate historical fiction with closed-door romance set within Pittsburgh’s Whiskey Rebellion. It is perfect for fans of the boldness of Amy Harmon’s A Girl Called Samson and of the familial saga of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie’s America’s First Daughter.
Pittsburgh, 1794. The people of western Pennsylvania suffer under a hefty tax on whiskey. When the local militia takes up arms against the hated tax collector, his estranged daughter finds herself caught in the crossfire.
Her safety threatened and her name in tatters, Caroline Neville begs her father to present the farmers’ case to the President and ask for relief. He refuses, and Caroline adopts a nom de guerre, submitting articles to the Gazette signed by Tom the Tinker. She urges the people to gather peacefully and beg for the tax’s repeal, turning the tide before her family’s lives are lost.
Then she meets Tench, the reporter who prints her demands. He’s part of the militia opposing the tax, and he has no idea she’s Tom the Tinker or a Neville. The deeper they fall in love, the harder it is to tell him the truth. Meanwhile, Caroline’s efforts for peace take a turn toward rebellion. As Caroline faces losing her family, her home, and Tench, she must race to put it all right before she’s charged with treason.
Publisher: Pen & Key Publishing
Author: Jennifer M. Lane
ISBN: 978-1736669143
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Retail price: $17.99
Editorial Reviews
“The fast and furious plot drives the relentless action of this novel. It offers readers a swift and entertaining read. It also calls into question what good government should be and how the will of the people should be recognized. Anyone interested in the early days of the American Republic would find this story to be of considerable interest.” – Historical Novel Society
“The cover is what initially drew me to it… The story kept me intrigued until the final page. Caroline is smart, independent, and has a real sense of humor. It’s a great story about finding your own voice and deciding where your loyalties truly lie. Readers looking for a historical romance with a strong female lead will enjoy this journey into early American history.” – Readers’ Favorite (Five Star review)
“Tinker’s central themes have been handled with remarkable subtlety. Western Pennsylvania in 1794 has been rendered as a character in its own right… and Caroline Neville has been brought to life with extraordinary care. Lane’s prose is precise, evocative, and period-aware without being precious, and her dialogue all-through the story rings true. She has used metaphors and sensory details that feel organic to the world, bringing The Whiskey Rebellion, a forgotten corner of American history to light and making it pulse with a sense of urgency and intimacy.
Jennifer M. Lane has written something special in “Tinker,” that will find the wide audience it deserves, from readers of historical fiction, of romance, of American history, to lovers of stories about women finding their voices in worlds that would prefer them silent.”
~Historical Fiction Company
“Tinker is a sharp and intimate historical novel… From the opening image of her father burned in effigy beneath a “Liberty and No Excise” ribbon, the book makes it clear that Caroline’s world is already on fire, even before she starts writing under the name Tom the Tinker.
“What makes the novel work so well is Caroline’s voice. She’s funny, stubborn, observant, and often painfully aware of the ways men underestimate her. Her first battle over a bottle of ink with Tench Coyle is playful, but it also sets up the larger conflict of the book: ink matters because words matter…
“I appreciated the way Lane makes the Whiskey Rebellion feel personal rather than like a history lesson. The tax, the writs, the smashed stills, the burned homes, and the fear spreading through the countryside all come through in lived-in details.
Tinker is a thoughtful and lively novel about voice, consequence, and the messy places where private lives meet public history. It has the sweep of historical fiction, but its best moments are often small ones: a horse betraying Caroline by liking Tench, Nonnie’s blunt wisdom, a family argument that finally cracks something open. The result is a historical fiction novel that feels grounded, romantic, tense, and deeply interested in how ordinary people try to do the right thing when the whole world around them is choosing sides.” ~Literary Titan
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Tinker Sell Sheet
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