Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, & Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution
KM Waldvogel
Middle Grade
Orange Hat Publishing July 2019
132 pp
$15 print
About the Book
The Revolutionary War has divided the country.
Neighbor has turned against neighbor. Family members argue with family members.
Angry rumblings of “no taxation without representation” surround you.
You dream of a new country and crave independence
from Britain. But do you have the courage to act on your feelings? Will you spy
on the enemy? Will you fight for freedom? Are you willing to risk your life for
your beliefs?
These are the stories of courageous women who did
just that.
K. M. Waldvogel has done a masterful job of telling
the stories of brave young women, many little-known, who risked their lives
during the years America was fighting for its independence. Waldvogel’s stories
are fast moving and filled with drama and suspense. ~ Jerry Apps, Professor
Emeritus, UW – Madison, Historian, Author
Buy the book:
Northwind Book & Fiber (independent bookstore in
Spooner)
A brief interview with the author
Kathy, what do
you love about this book?
I love that I can tell the stories of little-known
women who acted so courageously. They were not trying to make a name for
themselves, they did not desire great fame, they simply stood up for what they
believed and acted on these beliefs.
Introduce us to
the character you found most challenging.
Since these women lived over 240 years ago, finding
information on any of them was very challenging. I wanted to stay true to
history but also make the women come alive for the reader. I think trying to
give Anna Smith Strong character traits was very challenging for me. While I
knew her role in history, I found very little as to what her personality was
like but it was still important to me that the reader would empathize with her.
What do you hope
readers will tell others when they've finished the book?
I hope the readers will recognize women’s contributions
during this time. We often read about our Founding Fathers and marvel at their
heroism – and we should – but I also want readers to know that women also acted
heroically. Many took an active role in our country’s fight for independence
and risked their freedom and their lives while doing so.
What are you
reading now?
I am reading The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather. This
is a story of a Polish Resistance Fighter who willingly entered Auschwitz to
sabotage the Nazis plan for the Final Solution.
What's next for
you?
I am writing a middle-grade historical fiction book
involving four children who travel back in time to the American Revolution and
become involved in a spy ring. It requires a lot of research to get details
correct so that is taking quite a bit of time.
About the Author
Kathleen (K.M.) Waldvogel holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in elementary education and a Master
Teaching fifth grade social studies renewed her
passion for American history and she began reading as many books as possible on
the subject. While doing so, she wondered about the role of women in our
country’s fight for independence. Having always enjoyed writing, she decided to
merge these two interests and began researching little-known women of the
American Revolution. Her reading uncovered many heroic tales by young girls and
women. The result of her research is Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, and Saboteurs:
Women of the American Revolution.
Waldvogel is a member of the Society of Children
Book Writers and Illustrators, Wisconsin Writers Association, and local writing
groups in Wisconsin and Arizona. She and her husband reside in Wisconsin but
spend many happy months each year in Arizona.
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