Ruffles and Drums

by Betty Cavanna

Book Overview

Devoted to the revolutionary cause, sixteen-year-old Sarah finds it difficult to accept the presence of a young British officer convalescing in their Concord house. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688220355
• ISBN13: 9780688220358
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Why is this book out of print?

This story is about a young girl living in Concord during the Revolutionary War, whose family takes in a wounded British soldier and nurses him back to health. The girl unexpectedly falls in love with him, and he ends up becoming sympathetic to their views and decides to relocate to America permanently. I read this book when I was fourteen, when my subscription to the Nancy Drew double-book club ran out of new titles and started sending Betty Cavanna books instead. This book, Jenny Kimura, Paintbox Summer, and many others were wonderful and engaging stories that I looked forward to receiving each month. After all this time, I still remember every plot, innocent romance, lesson learned and intriguing setting. I am a middle school teacher with an emphasis in gifted education. I know many girls who would eat these stories up, and lots of moms who would be happy to pay for them. If these books were still available, I would have the whole set for my classroom reading center, and I am not alone. My fervent hope is that publishers will finally realize that old books are good books too, and that there is a market out there of people who would be thrilled to purchase reprints of good books from their young adult years for their own children. If you can find it, buy this book! Any middle school/early high school girl would enjoy this gentle romance, and might learn a thing or two about history in the process.

What a great work of Historical Fiction

I found this book absolutely wonderful. A work of historical fiction that brings the characters to life, and makes them real.Sarah is 16 and living with her family in Concord during the revolutionary war. Her brother and father are off fighting the war, when the war comes too close to home for Sarah's comfort. A bristish soldier named James is wounded, and despite Sarah protests her mother takes him in and nurses him back to health. After some time the soldier gets better, and Sarah realizes that it isn't hate she feels for him. This is a wonderful story, and one that is very believeable. This is a definite must read for all ages.

An all nighter book

I am so sad that this book is out of print. But so glad that I've got a copy. A falling apart copy, but hey tape works wonders. And the only reason it is falling apart is that I've read it too much! Sarah had a dog. The poor yapper was killed by some darn redcoat during a blasted battle. So when the Englishman was hurt, and Sarah's mother wanted to nurse him, Sarah was outraged. Even more angry when she found out that she had to miss her beauty sleep working the night shiftnursing. So the British guy wakes up, and Sarah realizes that missing her sleep was worth the guy, and then the soldier realizes that he actually loves not only America, but also an American.

A real page turner

This is one of the best books I have ever read. The story takes place in Concord durning the time of the Revolutinary War. Sarah's (the main character)mother is also helping a wounded british survive after a gun shot wound. Sarah hates the idea of him staying her house. But at the end she must choose between love and honor.