Mrs. Benedict Arnold

“The name Benedict Arnold has long been synonymous with treason and betrayal, but in Emma Parry’s magnificent debut, Mrs. Benedict Arnold, it’s clear that the truth is much more complicated than that. Mrs. Benedict Arnold is a captivating look at the life and heart of one of American history’s most misunderstood villains and the woman who stood by his side—and may well have influenced his eventual shifting of allegiances. If you love Hamilton, you’ll devour the well-researched, fast-paced, and fascinating Mrs. Benedict Arnold, which may well shift the way you think of America’s most famous traitor.” —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author

“Parry offers a deeply researched and refreshing take on a seminal moment in American history, told through the eyes of a woman who refuses to be a spectator as the world crumbles around her. Fans of Hamilton will enjoy this propulsive debut that explores not only the toll of war, but also the cost of peace.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

“Emma Parry casts a discerning light on Peggy Shippen Arnold, offering an intimate glimpse into the life of a woman shaped by love, obligation, and turbulent times. A reflective reexamination of a figure long overshadowed by history.” —Shana Abé, New York Times bestselling author of An American Beauty

“Emma Parry brings the American Revolution to life in this keenly observed, astonishing debut about a brilliant, spirited young woman caught between two great loves and two great nations. Brimming with wit and historic detail, Parry expertly embroiders a tale of courtly romance and political intrigue onto a star-spangled sampler, vividly rendering our founding fathers and mothers, and delivering an irresistible heroine in Peggy. Probing into the true nature of loyalty, patriotism, and love, Mrs. Benedict Arnold is a lush, nuanced exploration of how one woman can tip the scales of history.” —Emma Brodie, New York Times bestselling author of Into the Blue

“One of the most consequential and impassioned love stories of the American Revolution—and its tragic denouement—flutters off the page in Emma Parry’s subtly addictive Mrs. Benedict Arnold. . . . It is a fascinating window into the young and impressionable teenager, one who admits to herself that ‘I was never such a Loyalist I had trouble seeing the merit in a Patriot.’ Pairing superb writing with sharp psychological insights, Mrs. Benedict Arnold tells America’s most infamous story of betrayal from Peggy’s perspective and never stops enchanting.” —Historical Novel Society

“Emma Parry has taken an exceptionally complicated moment in history and managed to cut through all that noise with such a brilliant, maverick character in Peggy. It works so well on every level: the detail, the romance, the bittersweet ending. She weaves a vivid and moving story of love and espionage with a luminous heroine at its center. Assured and enthralling, Mrs. Benedict Arnold is a window into America’s complicated origins—and the women who shaped it.” —Phil Melanson, author of Florenzer

“Peggy Shippen—otherwise known as Benedict Arnold’s wife—comes alive on the pages of Emma Parry’s debut novel. Peggy, a plucky heroine caught between two worlds, always manages to come out on top, and for that, it’s hard not to root for her, even as she undermines Washington’s fledgling government in the name of the crown and her family’s survival. Parry uses perfect prose to tell a treasonous tale that will have you thinking long and hard about the fragility of our own democracy, what very nearly was, and—perhaps most importantly—what could be.” —Rachel Beanland, author of The Half Life and Florence Adler Swims Forever

“Emma Parry’s debut novel plunges readers into a Revolutionary War drama ripe with secrets, shifting alliances, and romance. The author deftly gives voice to Peggy Shippen, Benedict Arnold’s wife, as she navigates the tumultuous seas of love, war, and treason. Peggy is a complex, savvy heroine whose fear, determination, and fierce loyalty in the face of mounting dangers also make her utterly relatable. Appearances by colorful characters like Hamilton, Burr, and Washington will be a special treat for Hamilton fans, too. Parry’s novel offers a refreshing perspective on one of the most infamous betrayals in Revolutionary War history, and readers will be thinking about Peggy’s story long after they turn the last page.” —Suzanne Nelson, author of The Librarians of Lisbon

“Peggy Shippen pops off the pages of Parry’s novel—the vividly imagined story of a Philadelphia high society ‘it girl’ whose coming-of-age mirrors the turmoil of a nation at war with itself. In a dangerous world where Revolutionary politics infiltrate every salon and social circle, Peggy walks the knife’s edge between her friendship with a suave British officer and marriage to a famed American general twice her age, Benedict Arnold. Her passions and instincts for survival propel her into a conspiracy that could alter the course of American history. In this immersive novel of love, power, and peril—all the way to its heart-stopping conclusion—the formidable Peggy Shippen-Arnold finally gets her due.” —Samantha Silva, author of Love and Fury and Mr. Dickens and His Carol

“I BLOODY LOVED this novel… Peggy is such a fantastic heroine. And I LOVED all the writing around the American landscape; a properly thrilling ride. It’s such a triumph—so delicately done and beautifully written.” —Emma Brockes, Guardian columnist and author of An Excellent Choice

“Among the many delights of Emma Parry’s Mrs. Benedict Arnold is its close attention to emotional truth. Readers will take enormous pleasure in the moment by moment unfolding of a drama that elicits in this novel’s titular character a whirlwind of feeling we can affirm as true to life. I was propelled forward by the finely wrought and hard won nexus of history and feeling this novel provides. Mrs. Benedict Arnold was, for me, a captivating tour de force.” —David Guterson, bestselling author of Snow Falling on Cedars and Evelyn in Transit

“Great story, vivid and convincing, with some of the sharpest, finest dialogue I’ve read in a long time. Amazing.” —Stephen P. Kiernan, author of Pollock’s Last Lover

“Come for the banter, stay for the intrigue, and enjoy this fascinating tale of the American Revolution.” —Christian Science Monitor, Best Books of Spring