In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth’s father—her only living relative—has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage.
Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Now, Bostonians must fight for their lives against an invisible enemy in addition to the visible one. While a treatment is being frantically fine-tuned, thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself.
Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?
About Laurie Halse Anderson & Her Books
I am fascinated on your range of topics. You’re known for writing honest and relatable contemporary YA as well as accurate and engaging historical fiction.If you were to sum up your books/style of writing in four words, what would that be?
Photo credit: Susanne Kronholm
Books that open conversations.
What was your favorite book to write and why?
That’s like asking me which one of my kids is my favorite! Choosing one is impossible. Each book creates a unique journey through fascinating research and magical imagination.
About Rebellion 1776
You have some very vivid descriptions as to what smallpox was like. I’m curious of what types of sources you found most useful.
I started with modern information about the disease from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control. Then I dove into 18th-century primary sources: letters written by people going through the inoculation process, and doctors’ records.
How did you choose the emphasis for the book as well as the lifestyle of the protagonist?
The dramatic events of Boston in the early days of the Revolutionary War dictated the emphasis. I like writing about ordinary kids caught up in extraordinary events; that’s why Elsbeth is a kitchen maid with big dreams.
Is Elsbeth based on a real person?
Her situation as a kitchen maid whose father is missing, and mother is dead was inspired by almshouse records and indentures that legally bound unfortunate children to strangers. I also found a thirteen-year-old maid who was interviewed by the imposing Committee of Inspection which suspected the girl’s master of being a spy for the British.
Research/Writing
What was your favorite tidbit you discovered while doing research for Rebellion 1776?
The food! I combed through letters and newspapers to find out what was available and what was hard to find after the British fled, then I found recipes that were used back then. Writing about food allows authors to create a feast for the sense of their readers.
It’s always fun to learn the-behind-the-scenes for a great book. Thanks for sharing, Laurie! Rebellion 1776 comes out April 1.
To learn more about Laurie Halse Anderson, find her on X (previously known as Twitter) @HalseAnderson or visit her at MadWomanintheForest.com.
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