The Freemason's Daughter

Starred review from February 15, 2017
It's 1714 Great Britain, and a rebellion is brewing.James Stuart lives in exile, and George of the German House of Hannover is about to ascend the throne. Jenna's family, Scottish stonemasons, are Jacobites secretly working to return James to the throne in accordance with the divine right of kings. Alex, Lord Pembroke, has a duty to support George I's government as inheritor of his father's seat in the House of Lords. His father, the Duke of Keswick, has hired the masons to build a garrison to imprison and execute Jacobites--but Jenna's family has other plans for the structure: to aid the rebellion. Jenna and Alex inevitably meet and fall in love, but if Alex discovers Jenna's secret, her life, and those of her family, will be forfeit. Third-person narration alternates between Jenna and Alex, but it's Jenna's freethinking that will pull readers in. Her most prized possession is a copy of Newton's Principia; she's been taught to speak the King's English rather than with the broad Scottish accent of her family; and she has the freedom to choose her life's path during a time when women had very few choices. The cast, unsurprisingly, is an all-white one. An intriguing exploration of the intersection of politics, religion, and customs of the period--historical fiction at its best. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-Jenna MacDuff is the only child of the Scottish leader of a group of Freemasons who must flee Scotland for England to hide their support of the exiled King James Stuart. Ironically, Jenna and her makeshift family of Freemasons are hired by the Duke of Keswick to build a garrison to protect his household from themselves and other Jacobites. In addition to building the garrison, the Freemasons have covert plans to use it to their advantage. Jenna has doubts about her family's strategy, especially in light of the feelings she has for the duke's son, Lord Pembroke, and the danger to herself and her family. Though readers are told that the heroine is in danger, they likely won't feel it until the very abrupt end. They will, however, tire of the constant reminder of how unusual it is for a girl, especially one of Jenna's station, to be educated. Though the protagonist is empowered, the character development is heavy-handed. An educated, spunky, yet poor heroine; a brooding, aristocratic hero; and an intriguing and suspenseful setting should make this a worthy romance, but the slow pacing of the beginning and the rapid conclusion leave readers with a very mixed bag. Although the characters are appealing and well drawn, this doesn't redeem the work. VERDICT A romance with great potential that is hurt by a sluggish start and a quick end. A strictly additional purchase.-Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2017
Grades 7-10 Jenna MacDuff has never wanted to leave Scotland, but when her father and the rest of her clan are hired by the Duke of Keswick to build a garrison, she has no choice but to follow. Quick, educated Jenna has been raised by this small group of men, and she understands that their new lives in England are fraught with danger: the men aren't just freemasons but Jacobites, secretly fighting for the exiled King James Stuart. It's 1714 and Britain is filled with unease; Jenna knows to hide the truth from the duke's son, Alex. Despite mounting family tensions and an impending, unwanted arranged marriage, Alex finds himself drawn to the intelligent, fiery Jenna, who pushes him away for the sake of her family. Sackier (Dear Opl, 2015) balances her historical exploration of a tumultuous period against a plot laden with danger, betrayals, and a touch or two of romance. The Jacobite uprising might not be the most familiar historical event to teens, and this is a thrilling introduction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)