Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married
General Henry Knox and General Benedict Arnold were two of the most compelling military figures of the Revolutionary era. Though their paths took radically different turns, they each married spirited, independent women who defied both convention and their families to follow their hearts. In this interesting dual biography, Stuart parallels the lives of Peggy Shippen Arnold, renowned for both her beauty and her unwavering support of her treasonous husband, and Lucy Flucker Knox, the well-heeled daughter of staunchly Loyalist parents who threw caution and politics to the wind to marry a radical patriot. Despite the fact that the two women never met, there are plenty of historical, cultural, and social ties that bind them together. With the seemingly endless parade of books devoted to both founding fathers and revolutionary rascals, it’s nice to see some attention paid to the fervor with which some remarkable women navigated the romantic, political, and wartime challenges of the era. --Margaret Flanagan