Amy Harmon is a must read author for me. Her books are always packed with emotion and a bit of history that I didn't know much about.

A Girl Called Samson was a good read but unfortunately not my favorite of hers. It did lag a little in the middle but thankfully picked up towards the end.

I love learning about unknown, but incredible bits of history! A GIRL CALLED SAMSON features one such story and while Harmon's version of Deborah Samson's life is fictionalized, it's still amazing. Deborah—a 21-year-old woman who disguised herself as a teenage boy in order to fight in the Revolutionary War—is, not suprisingly, a very intriguing character. In Harmon's hands, at least, she's compassionate, loyal, brave, forthright, and passionate. She's sympathetic and root-worthy, which makes her story even more compelling. Harmon makes the heroine come alive on the page, giving her a complex personality, a diverse range of emotions, and enough challenges to prove her grit and fortitude. John Paterson is just as likable and admirable. The sparks flying between them are felt almost instantly, but their bond is built over time, giving their relationship a realistic warmth and passion. Plotwise, there's plenty going on in the novel to keep the reader turning pages. In addition, Harmon's prose is vivid, even poetic, but never sentimental or overdone. All of these things combine to create an engrossing, resonant novel that shines light on people who really lived, breathed, and loved their country so much that they did remarkable things in its defense. If you love historical fiction, as I do, this is a gripping must-read. As much as I loved WHERE THE LOST WANDER, A GIRL CALLED SAMSON is the best Amy Harmon book I've read so far!

One of the best books I’ve read so far this year! And the fact that it’s loosely based on a true story was amazing. Amy Harmon really puts you in the story and makes you feel like you’re there.

3 Stars
One Liner: Mixed feelings; not her best work

Mid to late 1700s
Deborah Samson comes from a Puritan family in Plympton, Massachusetts. She is bound out as a servant when her father abandons the family to sail on the seas. Deborah grows into a strong and determined young girl who wants to fly high and achieve great things. The hardships she faced made her ready to face anything in life.
One day, she decides to become a boy and join the war as a soldier. The American Colonies have been fighting with the redcoats and the British army for freedom. What follows is her journey as a young soldier fighting for her country and the unexpected love she finds in the process.
The story comes in Deborah’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I read two books by the author and enjoyed them both (in fact, I loved the first one). Sadly, this book left me with mixed feelings.
The writing is beautiful where it should be and sharp when necessary. The war scenes are presented in a matter-of-fact tone with a subtle touch of emotions that suits the main character’s arc. The war and camping scenes have triggers (as they would).
Though the pacing is slow, the takes us through different stages of Deborah’s life and how she establishes herself as Rob. Her vulnerabilities, doubts, fear, yearning for something better, lack of ability to connect with most people around her, and borderline obsession with Elizabeth (because a young girl needs someone to call her own) come out very well.
The character does make some stupid decisions, reinforcing that she is far from flawless despite trying to be the best at everything she does. After all, she has no real guidance and is unaware of many things.
The other characters are also well-etched, be it General Patterson, Agrippa, Deborah’s mother (a minor character), or the Rev. I don’t know Washington enough, so can’t say much about his characterization.
However, my biggest issue is with the fictionized parts of the plot. I had a slight idea about an inserted love track (thanks to friends Marilyn and Ruchita). But I was disappointed when I read the author’s note.
I’m not a fan of tinkering with real people’s lives in fiction (when using their names for the characters). While I love the idea behind the love story, I can’t agree with how it’s done (yeah, I know it could have been worse). Why kill a real person years before their actual death and bring together two people who weren’t together? The note mentions Deborah married a person called Benjamin. So given her character, it would make sense that she married for love. Why not use the same but take creative liberties to weave a love story with angst and bring them together?
The last part of the book is probably the weakest. The lovers’ angst is well-done but stands out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the plot. I can’t help but wonder if the love track was even necessary (and if yes, couldn’t it have been handled better)? This comes from someone who loves love stories and romance books.

To summarize, A Girl Called Samson is a good introduction to a real-life soldier woman who defied the odds but is definitely fiction with uneven pacing. How you like it depends on your reading preferences. All said and done, the land belongs to the natives.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was my second time reading Amy Harmon’s work, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t read many books based around the Revolutionary War, because it’s honestly not my favorite era to read, but Amy really brought the settings and characters to life. Deborah Samson is an amazing heroine, and I really admired her tenacity and passion. You can’t help but cheer for her, especially through all the heartache and discrimination she had to overcome. There are several different points-of-view in this book, but it was never confusing to me, and I loved the uniqueness of each person because it added even more depth to the plot. If you love stories of triumph and hope then you should definitely read A Girl Called Samson. Highly recommended!

This is the first book I have read from this author. I found it to be quite fascinating. It is loosely based on an actual Revolutionary War private that just happens to be a female. Deborah Samson is quite a character. We all should have some of her hutzpah. The characters are very well developed. The storyline is captivating. I try to be careful and not hand out five stars unless I think that they are truly deserving and I believe this book is. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

An incredible true story of a woman who desperately wants to be more than she was born to be, to excel at everything she does and make a mark on the world. Told with the artistic flare of the author who weaves tales masterfully, there is of course liberties taken that did not happen, or can't be substantiated but the story of Deborah Samson will leave a mark on the reader. Her incredible life should be celebrated by all and the story that Amy Harmon weaved left me more than a little emotional! Google will be my next stop for all things Deborah Samson and John Patterson!

Harmon's writing style is engaging and descriptive, painting vivid pictures of the characters and their surroundings. The story is narrated by several different characters, each with their own unique voice and perspective, adding depth and complexity to the plot.

The heart of the novel lies in its exploration of themes such as identity, belonging, and acceptance. Samson struggles to understand who she is and where she fits in a world that often views her as a freak. Her journey is both inspiring and heartbreaking, as she faces discrimination, exploitation, and even violence.

Despite the challenges she faces, Samson is a resilient and courageous character, and her story is ultimately one of hope and triumph. Harmon does an excellent job of weaving together various plot threads and building up to a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, "A Girl Called Samson" is a powerful and emotionally resonant novel that will stay with readers long after they've finished it. Harmon has crafted a beautiful and compelling story that is sure to touch the hearts of anyone who reads it. Highly recommended.

the story of an idealistic young woman who disguises herself as a soldier to fight in the revolutionary war, a girl called samson is nothing like what i typically read—i only requested it because i enjoyed where the lost wander last year. harmon’s writing is just as lovely here, but i’ve rarely been so frustrated by an author’s note. she took far too many creative liberties with a real woman’s story. was deborah samson’s life not interesting enough without forcing a romance that never happened?

it isn’t as if deborah never married, either—her husband and children are left out and her love interest’s wife is killed off to make space for this relationship. deborah also transforms from a brave, resourceful character to a rather helpless one as the romance progresses, which felt like a disservice to the real deborah.

this book also veers into christian fiction preachiness at times, which is not my cup of tea. i didn’t mind the christian themes, but the messaging often came across as the author’s personal views rather than deborah’s faith or the general religiosity of the time period.

i love harmon’s prose, but i suspect where the lost wander was an anomaly and her books just aren’t for me—i found a girl called samson frustrating on so many levels and probably won’t be picking up another of her novels.

A book that ticked a lot of my boxes after quite some time - A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon!

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and Harmon an author who rarely disappoints. Bring the two together and magic happens. The story as the name suggests is a fictionalized version of real life American Revolution heroine - Deborah Samson. How a 'mere girl' defies all odds and makes her way to the forefront during times when women on battlefield were unheard of...

It's a tale of tenacity, courage, grit and determination of a girl who has no means yet her aspirations and spirit are sky high! Deborah isn't beautiful in the conventional way yet her intellect, perseverance and hunger to prove herself an equal in a man's world and domain is what sets her apart.

The book mostly sails through in Harmon's deft narrative except in some places which tend to be over descriptive and my only bone of contention with the story is the artistic liberty which the author takes to add some spice ( read romance) in the story, but it definitely doesn't take away the awe inspiring effect as the story unfolds.

If you like strong women and enjoy delving in history/ historical fiction - it definitely makes a good read!

𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐈 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧,

Amy Harmon is an incredible storyteller. In A Girl Called Samson, she brings to life the story of Deborah Samson, a Revolutionary War soldier. A woman who disguised herself as a 16-year-old boy so that she could join in the fight for freedom - freedom for her country, freedom for herself.
As a child, when her mother could no longer care for her and her siblings, she was given as an indentured servant to the Thomas family. A family with 10 sons who all slowly left for the War until Elizabeth eventually did the same, as Robert Shurtliff. She served, hiding her true identity, for 18 months before being discovered. Deborah Samson was brave and inspiring and I’m glad to now know her name.

My only complaint is that many of the characters in the book were real people, and after becoming so invested in their stories, discovering that the relationships between them were fabricated was a disappointment.

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝—𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞.

Thanks for the ARC!

A Girl called Samson follows the story of Deborah, who grew up as an indentured servant before joining the Continental Army. As a man. She yearns for more than what being a woman during those times can offer. She longs to make her own choices, to be free, and to join the fight for her country's independance.

Deborah, or Rob, is brave, strong-headed, resilient. She was an attaching character from the start. I liked that she doesn't hate being a woman - she only hates how few choices she has because of this. And she was a real person! Amy Harmon did a lot of research to introduce us this inspiring woman.

I am passionate about everything related directly or indirectly to the American War of Independance. I studied it at uni, it was fascinating and being a huge fan of Hamilton didn't help my case. I loved following Deborah as a soldier in the Continental Army and her determination to hide her true identity, loved following the state of the war and all the historical details, and loved the writing which hooked me up to the story right away. Amy Harmon is a good storyteller !

We were promised a love story so I was rooting for it ! It was original, and their relationship as a whole is amazing - I just didn't like the romantic aspect as much. There is a part where we leave the engaging historical fiction to focus on the couple which kind of reduced my interest in the book. Fortunately, it doesn't last very long and we are offered a really credible, satisfying and emotional ending.

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon, 411 pages. Lake Union Publishing, 2023. $17.
Language: R (37 swears, 0 “f” + British swears); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
The Thomas farm was the second home Deborah moved into as an indentured servant—and, with ten sons, Deborah couldn’t deny that they really needed her help. Impossibly, Deborah fit in. Until she grew into being a woman and the Thomas boys started enlisting in the Revolutionary War. Deborah wanted to serve her country too, but she couldn’t enlist as a woman. So she enlisted as a man.
Based on a true story, Deborah’s story is enlightening for the struggles soldiers faced even as they birthed our country—a success that seemed out of reach in a war that went on longer than expected. I admire Deborah’s hope and dedication as she faced daily uncertainty and tragedy. And her hope is lasting. We, like Deborah, can be true to ourselves and fight for right, no matter the reasons others give for why we can’t or shouldn’t.
The majority of characters are British, French, and those starting to define themselves as American. There is also one Polish character and a handful of African American characters. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, mentions of nudity and rape, innuendo, and implied sex. The violence rating is for description of war, mentions of child abuse, battle scenes, gun use, blood and gore, murder, and suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Title: A Girl Called Samson
By: Amy Harmon

Genre:
Historical Fiction, Revolutionary War, Woman Equality

Summary: As a young girl, Deborah Samson moves in the home of the Thomas family to work with them. In a family full of boys, Deborah quickly build a tight bond with every brother. As time passes, the boys enlist and fight in the American Revolutionary War. Deborah is a strong, independent, determined girl who dreams of fighting the in the war. Unfortunately, she isn’t allowed to fight as a girl, so Deborah disguises herself and enlists to fight.

Review:
This is my first novel by Amy Harmon and it was an excellent read. The reader can feel the deep connection and appreciation for the characters in the novel. The book pulls you in from the first page. I fell in love with all the characters who had great depth, and strong relationships. If you are a historical fiction fan, I highly recommend this read.

Side note: I received an ARC of this novel, but quickly feel in love with the book. I couldn’t put it down, so I purchase an audible copy and let me tell you, Tavia Gilbert does a phenomenal job as the narrator. Her voices, her tones, Gilbert is an epic storyteller. I will be looking for more novels read by her. I highly recommend the listen!

Thank you to Amy Harmon, Lake Union Publishing, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#amyharmon
#netgalley
#advancedreadercopy
#lakeunionpublishing
#agirlcalledsamson

I was very excited to read A Girl Called Samson learn more about this amazing woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War.

I loved how well Amy Harmon portrayed the inner conflict that Deborah felt. She was torn between the desire to fight for her liberty, and the constraints put on her by society.

I absolutely loved the first half of the book. I really struggled though with the second half of the book, because the author completely fictionalized the rest of Deborah's life. I completely respect Harmon's right to do that as the author. But I struggled to enjoy the story, knowing that it was not how her life turned out.

So, if I read this as a complete work of fiction, it is amazing. But with the knowledge that it's a portrayal of her life, it loses a bit of the shine. It is still an amazing portrayal of the experiences in the Revolutionary War and I still enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Amy Harmon for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I’ve never really been all that interested in history but find myself devouring Amy Harmon books one after another after discovering When the Wind Knows last year. Something about her writing is just so beautiful and transporting. Although romance isn’t the focus on her novels, she writes the most lovely slow burns.

A Girl Called Samson is a fictional retelling of the real life story of female American Revolution soldier Deborah Sampson. The book gets off to a slow start as it sets the scene of Deborah’s early life as a domestic helper and picks up as the conflict unfolds.

I love the way Deborah talks about her identity as an atypical woman, especially for the time period, and her disguise as male teen soldier Robert Shurtliff. Her feelings and insecurities about who she is are very relatable. I work in a male dominated field and sometimes lament the difficulties associated with that but at the very core of it, I am grateful to be a woman.

The romance in this book is entirely fictional. The real life Deborah Sampson married a farmer and her love interest remained married to someone else. That said, I really liked the creative liberties that were taken. Admiration, trust, and respect were a great foundation for the relationship’s development into romance. I’m still feeling the warm fuzzies hours after finishing the book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a review ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“A Girl Called Samson” is a historical fiction book by Amy Harmon.

What I liked about this book was giving voice to Deborah Samson. Unlike Ms. Harmon, I had heard about Deborah Samson as a child. I knew Deborah Samson had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War and had been discovered as being female after getting sick. Ms. Harmon’s book filled in a number of details I didn’t know - such as Deborah having been an indentured servant, having been an aide to James Paterson, and being honorably discharged from the military.

What I found meh was the pacing. At times the book moved along at a steady clip and at other times dragged. Unlike other reviewers, I found the “war parts” pretty interesting, but being interested in the Revolutionary War I think helped a lot with those sections.

What I didn’t like was that there were a number of liberties taken with Deborah Samson’s story. Yes, that’s Ms. Harmon’s right as a historical writer … but to have a romance (and eventual marriage!) between the two main characters when it didn’t happen - nope, dislike. Although Ms. Harmon addresses this (and other fictional liberties taken) in her Author’s Note, this one really bugged me.

It honestly hurts me to say that this is, for me, a three star review because I really wanted (and hoped!) to like this book a lot more than I did. I believe in giving voice to the "unsung" heroes of wars - and Deborah Samson's story is one that should be known. I give full marks to Ms. Harmon for thinking about writing this story - but I wish it had been better executed.

Overall, if you want to read a sweet story about a courageous woman with a romance thrown in, this could be a book to pick up and read. If the facts about Deborah Samson are something in your back pocket (so to speak), this may not be the book for you. I do like Ms. Harmon’s writing style, but think that maybe this book should be “inspired” by Deborah Samson, not true historical fiction.

Rated 4.5 Stars

A Girl Called Samson was phenomenal. It was very much a coming of age story, a beautiful love story and so much more. There was action, adventure, heartache, love and so much more. Deborah Samson was an amazing woman who lived an extraordinary life. The author did a great job of bringing her to life on page. I felt like I lived every moment of her life, every action, every adventure, every emotion, every hardship so vivid did it come alive for me. I highly recommend it.

Amy Harmon did her research! This smartly written story about real life Deborah Samson connected me to an another time. I was moved to read about a woman who didn’t want to be in the mold of a Proverbs 31 woman, but a Romans 12:2 woman. This story is packed with scripture and what a surprise to have an equally valiant male lead matched to Samson. As a non historian I felt a little overwhelmed with some of the language and locations at times. There as so much mention of historical connection that it felt slow to get into parts without action or romance. The heart felt connection between friends was also a major theme here, accepting brothers and sisters as people who are not perfect, but are still yours.

I think I have read all of Amy Harmon's novels and enjoyed them all. A Girl Called Samson is historical fiction with an emphasis on socially defined women's roles, the Revolutionary War, and an unnecessary romantic digression. Samson is a real historical figure and one whom I had never known existed. As history, this novel works well up until the ending, when Harmon decides that Deborah's story is not enough on its own. Harmon also makes her a romantic heroine.

A Girl Called Samson is the story of Deborah Samson, a young woman who masqueraded as a man to join the revolutionary army. Samson's strength is her sheer determination to succeed, in spite of being a woman. She is determined to play her part in history. She wants a legacy and to be remembered. Samson disguises herself as a man because she longs to fight for the land on which she lives, but she also does so to make a name for herself and prove that women are as strong as men. With her own behavior, Samson proves she was a complex heroine. She wanted to establish that women need not be defined by social and domestic limitations. But, at the same time, she wanted publicity for her war record and for audiences to know who she was and what she had accomplished.

Samson's story works well as historical fiction. She is a fascinating woman with a commanding history. Her accomplishments prove that women can be soldiers, even though it takes two hundred years for the military to catch on to this history. Historical fiction works best when it sticks to history. Harmon does not think that Samson';s story succeeds on its own, without the addition of romance and sex. I did enjoy this novel, but in reading about the real history, which is included in the Afterword, readers learn that Samson's story was rewritten for A Girl Called Samson. Samson deserves the truth.

I want to thank the author and Lake Union Publishing for providing this ARC to read and review. The above comments are my own opinion. Readers will learn a great deal about Samson and celebrate her strengths. A Girl Called Samson is a novel to read and enjoy, but it is also a mix of history and fiction. Knowing the truth is important. Read the Afterword at the end of the novel. Thank you also to NetGalley for providing this digital copy of A Girl Called Samson.