Anna Strong

January 1, 2020
A brave woman's inventive idea helped win the American Revolution. In 1778, America's future looked hopeless. George Washington needed spies! To meet that need, Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge formed the Culper Ring, devising codes so these covert agents could send secret messages, often in invisible ink. Tallmadge recruited one woman--Anna Smith Strong--whose Long Island home was near British headquarters in New York City. Having Loyalist relatives allowed her to mingle with British society. Who'd accuse her of spying? Anna proved capable and cunning. When British officers commandeered her home, she stealthily listened to their plotting. She concocted an ingenious scheme that signaled information was available for Washington and fellow co-conspirators, turning the laundry on her line into a code that provided the advance knowledge Washington needed to ambush enemy soldiers, helping him ultimately to turn the tide of the conflict. The British never suspected. This exciting, well-told tale places readers in the thick of things and illuminates an unsung American heroine. Lively illustrations done in a naïve style that reflects the period capture the setting convincingly and depict a few codes. Characters present white; a street scene shows a brown-skinned woman. Fascinating information in the backmatter includes Culper codes and a recipe for invisible ink. A captivating slice of little-known U.S. history. (author's note, artist's note, notes, bibliography, index) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

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April 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 3-General George Washington was looking for new and inventive ways to beat the British during the Revolutionary War. He decided to use spies. Basing the book's narrative on primary source materials, Marsh describes the role of Long Island native Anna Smith Strong as a spy in the Culper Spy Ring. Strong utilized her family's elevated place in society, her skills as a socialite, and her family farm's physical location to work in her favor to gather and pass information from the British to the Patriots. Meanwhile, male spies (including her husband Selah) were caught, imprisoned, and sometimes even hanged. Strong had to be very careful. Green's illustrations complement the story with scenes of Strong among the British, clearly listening, and show number codes like the ones the Culper Ring used in their messages. The illustrations have a "spyglass" perspective and include lots of floral patterns to camouflage the protagonist into the scenes. Additional material covers more information about the Culper Ring Code Book, how to make invisible ink, Marsh's research notes about how historians came to believe Strong was a spy, an artist's note about the illustrations, and a bibliography. VERDICT A spirited book about a lesser-known historical figure. Recommended for elementary school and public libraries.-Lia Carruthers, Gill St. Bernard's School, Gladstone, NJ

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