The Culper spy network had a handful of central figures, and Robert Townsend was one of them. A storeowner in British-occupied New York, Townsend was in a key position to obtain intelligence—and then funnel it through dead drops and furtive exchanges to the other Culper spies so that it ultimately ended up in General George Washington’s hands. (Washington was quite a spymaster. Recognizing his steep disadvantage against the mightier British military, he sent out scouts and spy networks, using their information to help bridge the gap.) Anna Strong was also deeply involved with the Culper spies. Some even believe she was 355. Though not a Culper spy, Elizabeth Burgin was also real and received a pension from Washington himself for her efforts in freeing some two hundred men from the prison hulks in Wallabout Bay. (To date, no one has uncovered how she accomplished this.)

There were vast social disparities in America in 1776. The slave trade forced unimaginable horrors on hundreds of thousands for whom liberty was utterly out of reach. Native Americans were stripped of sacred lands and wrenched into a war that was not of their making. Experiences varied widely, depending on one’s race, class, sex, location, and political paradigm. This book focuses on the highly privileged, wealthy white class. I chose to make Frannie an immigrant because the experience is close to me.

The histories of the American Revolution lean on the contributions of men: The Founding Fathers. The Sons of Liberty. Paul Revere’s brave ride and Nathan Hale’s brave words. But women also played important roles in the war. They held farmsteads and families together. They served as nurses, fund-raisers, political writers, spies, and much more. They filled the spaces that were allowed them—and a few found ways to go beyond. For more than any other reason, I wrote this story to help shed a little light on a great woman of the past in hopes that doing so will illuminate the path forward for many others.

Facts inspired and informed this story. The horrors of the prison hulks in Wallabout Bay, for example, have not been exaggerated. Historians estimate that as many as twelve thousand men died in them, more than twice the number of casualties suffered on the battlefield. I have endeavored to fit the fictional elements of this story into the realities of the time. On the occasions where the historical record varies, such as the date of celebration for the queen’s birthday, I chose to use the information that best suited the narrative. Any allowances I made were as minor as I could keep them, and done in the service of telling a story of a young woman who was a true patriot.

Acknowledgments

Rebel Spy is about a brave and intelligent young woman I greatly admire. I have been blessed to know many such women in my life, a few of whom were indispensable in the creation of this book.