{"product_id":"9781682619476","title":"The Remarkable Cause : A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Remarkable Cause\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Jean C.  O'Connor\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Lovell desperately wants to help the American cause, but alone in a cold, dark cell in the Boston Stone Jail, his dreams seem a faint illusion.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn icy March winds, pounded by the Americans’ cannon, General Howe evacuates British troops and Loyalists from Boston. James Lovell is forced into a ship bound for Halifax, while his father and family take passage for the British stronghold in the ship’s upper berth. In jail in Halifax, James can only write letters and pray for release, hoping General George Washington will hear his appeal.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Remarkable Cause, \u003c\/i\u003eexperience conflict and courage in the roots of the American Revolution:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eprotests over the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ehanging in effigy, tar and feathering\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003etension of the Boston Massacre trials\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003etroops charging Bunker Hill\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003edreadful conditions in British jails for James and his fellow prisoners\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ethe strength of a friend, Ethan Allen of the Green Mountain Boys\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eJames’s passion for his family, in his own words\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Jean C. O’Connor, a high school English teacher for over thirty years, researched this story using letters, journals, and documents written by James Lovell and his contemporaries. Inspired by a few sentences in her grandmother’s journal, Jean discovered details of that time far away—yet still relevant. Images from early newspapers and pictures enliven the narrative’s pages.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\"I enjoyed the characters and historical accuracy of the story. You've made the events 'come alive' through your excellent writing. Through the descriptive language, I could see, hear, and feel the excitement and tension of the era.\" \u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Remarkable Cause \u003c\/i\u003eby Jean O'Connor is a highly readable account of Boston Latin School alumnus and teacher James Lovell. O'Connor captures the world of James Lovell, including the political turmoil; young readers will effectively experience the challenging times in which he lived.\" \u003cbr\u003e\"A splendid book that truly brings to life our rich heritage of liberty—all the more poignant as we commemorate these historic events year-by-year on the way to celebrating the 2026 formal Semiquincentennial of these United States of America.\" \u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the American Revolution \u003c\/i\u003ehas all the makings of a classic that can stand with \u003ci\u003eJohnny Tremain \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Fifth of March. \u003c\/i\u003eJean C. O'Connor's dramatic chronicle of the events leading to the Revolution in Boston not only shows how each event impacted the colonial society, but also demonstrates the fact that the American Revolution was very much a civil war. Sometimes families were torn apart by the events taking place around them. The story of James Lovell will entertain and inform readers of all ages. Students and teachers will also benefit from the accompanying website that contains curricular materials to delve into the history of James Lovell's world.\"  \u003cbr\u003e\"In her novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Remarkable Cause\u003c\/i\u003e, Jean C. O'Connor uses Boston and a true historical character (James Lovell) to explore the many layers of America's revolutionary experience. Through sympathetic, memorable characters, the book illuminates the painful conflicts among American loyalists and patriots that tore apart many families and neighbors, along with the intrigue, fighting, idealism, and suffering that comes with the well-known curse of living in 'interesting times.'\"\u003cbr\u003e\"In The Remarkable Cause, Jean C. O'Connor brings to life the story of James Lovell in the tumult of revolutionary Boston. But this is more than the story of virtuous patriots confronting malevolent stories, as O'Connor shows us the nuanced and conflicted relationships among family members on different sides of the conflict. James Lovell and his father, both teachers at Boston Latin, the nation's oldest school, both left their home town with the British Evacuation on March 17, 1776—the father as an exile, James, the son, as a prisoner of war. We meet other members of the family—sister Elizabeth, who flirts with a British officer to secure an appointment for brother Benjamin, who orders the wrong sized cannon balls, and see how this remarkable cause strained family ties in the creation of a new nation. This is a well-known story told through the fresh eyes of men and women who lived through and helped to shape it.\"  \u003cbr\u003e\"In descriptive, fast-paced chapters, O'Connor successfully takes readers on a journey back to colonial Boston, exploring the celebrated revolutionary events that ultimately led to American Independence, while vividly highlighting the often less remembered harrowing realities...the Siege of Boston, prisoners of war, and how the Cause divided families on both sides of the political divide.\" \u003cbr\u003e\"Brimming with rich historical details, and pulsing with the spirit of the Revolution, Jean O'Connor's \u003ci\u003eThe Remarkable Cause \u003c\/i\u003edoes justice to a forgotten American hero, while deftly portraying the years leading up to the Revolution, including tensions between loyalists and patriots, conflicts between citizens and British troops, and anxieties within families, as the path to war became inevitable. A hugely enjoyable novel.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781682619476\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Knox Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40591997927630,"sku":"9781682619476","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_43621304-0e38-4d23-908b-6f4888784d4f.jpg?v=1646776819","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781682619476","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}