I received this book for free for an honest review from Netgalley.

I normally don't read historical fiction but this is definitely worth your time if you're not normally into the genre.

This novel tells the story of a woman who fights for her independence and the role she plays in the American Revolution. Anna is a strong heroine. She is very devoted to her husband and is very patriotic. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it was very slow moving in the beginning. Still, this novel is perfect for fans of I Shall Be Near to You!

Anna Stone has found her place in life beside her husband Benjamin. They have formed a strong bond and a loving marriage with as much marital equality as one can muster in 1778. But Benjamin, an apple farming Baptist minister, has left her and joined the army, along with her brothers. When word reaches her of sickness and lack of food at Valley Forge, Anna decides she must come to their aid. She travels, a woman alone, for over 200 miles to bring medicine and supplies. Along the way she faces danger and is tasked to bring a message to General George Washington as his life is in peril.
The Book, Answering Liberty’s Call is beautifully written. It begins in 1778 but bounces back in time, detailing Anna’s early life, her courtship and marriage to Benjamin. I really enjoyed the format and thought the author did a brilliant job of bringing Anna to life. We slowly come to understand the drive and determination that urges Anna to ride to the aid of her brothers and husband.
Full of authentic touches and descriptions, I particularly enjoyed the nursing/medical aspect. Well researched, the book gives the reader a feel for life in late 18th century Virginia. Special attention to details such as clothing and food, put the reader into another time and place.
I would highly recommend this fantastic tale, based on a real woman, to lovers of historical fiction and to those who just love a great story. Jean M. Roberts, author of Blood in the Valley.

I was really excited about this book. I love historical fiction. I also love adventure stories. This was a mix of both. It was written with a very linear plot, and no side stories. It was simplistic in that way. Almost read like a YA novel (maybe it is?). I liked the character of Anna, but I found the simplicity of the story a little boring. Also, the back and forth of the time periods (she's remembering earlier in her life as it pertains to situations she's in), are kind of confusing and frequent.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free galley copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Interesting Historical fiction based on a true story in 1778. Anna Stone of Virginia heard about her brothers and husband where they were stationed at Valley Forge PA - the horrible conditions, sickness, lack of food and clothing. She is a healer and feels she can take some needed provisions and help to them. She had a sturdy horse and a plan where to stay, some with relatives as she went. It was still dangerous to travel alone, especially as a woman. She ended up wearing some of her husband's clothes part of the way. When staying at a relative's house she met one of Washington's men and was asked to deliver an important message to the General personally, believing she would be less likely to be perceived as a messenger. She was then in even more danger than before. It's an interesting recount of what happened, well told, bringing the people to life. The experience brings Anna a new sense of liberty and freedom in her own life, and a great sense of accomplishment. Gives you a glimpse into people's lives as our country was fighting for its liberty and independence from England, the contrast of the well off and poor, evil and good people, and political corruption even in the earliest days of our country, some insight as to why our declaration of independence and early laws were written as they were. And the bravery of people who fought for our right to freedom. They should not be forgotten or taken for granted.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#AnsweringLibertysCall #NetGalley #TracyLawson #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #HistoricalFiction

What an amazing book and story, an amazing female character and such a wonderful historical tale.

The story of a strong woman, of her love of family, her bravery, the contributions she made to the war effort. This is an intriguing and enticing read, as story that really draws you in and I just couldn't put it down. It isn't too long so doesn't become boring and it is a story that should be read.

Well researched, well written and well read!

An historical fiction set during the American Revolution and based on the authors family history, is about a woman who bound and determined to do what it takes to aid George Washington and the patriots. These are my favorite historical fiction books, books that show compliable women and not shrinking violets. As in order to survive in the colonies and survive the war you had to be tough and a match and support for your husband.

Anna Stone is a mother of three and wife of a preacher. She is determined to reach her husband and brothers at Valley Forge. The book begins with Anna on her journey to help her brothers and find her husband who all set out to fight the redcoats during the American Revolutionary War. As she is on her journey, it brings back memories of her childhood and young adult life.

The chapters alternate from the current journey in January 1778 to her memories, mainly those from the loss of her father and moving in with her uncle, to him sending her off as an indentured servant to pay off her father's debts, to meeting and marrying her husband, including recent events.

Ann also discusses the treatment of women during this time. Her mother is forced to move in with Anna's uncle, her father's brother, upon her father's death. Women were not seen as able to fend for themselves and became the "ward" of a male relative upon becoming a widow. She was on longer allowed to make decisions for herself or her children, it became the job of the "man of the house. Where she formerly may have had a voice or sway in her husband's decisions, that was gone.

I have really enjoyed the book and will recommend it to family, friends, and some of my more mature students. Although there are adult themes mentioned, they are not explicit and I think those students I would recommend it to have been exposed to more explicit vocabulary in other literature.

This is a book I plan to read again.

I was given the opportunity to read this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating this four stars, rather than three, because of the excellent writing and all of the research that had to have gone into that writing. I really like historical novels and was eager to read this but felt that it moved so slowly. What I, particularly, did not like was the switching back and forth between dates and years. It was hard to keep track of and confusing. Also, I felt that there was too much what I call "filler". The story didn't seem to pick up until I was 75% through.

I was impressed with Ms Lawson's use of grammar, something too rare in my reading experience. It's also interesting that Anna Stone, the gal who traveled on horseback to Valley Forge was an ancestor of hers.

Will review on GoodReads and Amazon.

The best spies and couriers are those who can fade into the background. Women during the Revolutionary War were almost invisible and considered only good for cooking, cleaning, and childbearing. It is almost unheard of to have a woman leaving her home, let alone ride hundreds of miles to deliver messages to the patriotic armies.

The nearly criminal ineptitude of the individuals tasked with supplying arms and foodstuffs to our troops is unbelievable. Wagons full of clothing, munitions and food stuffs were often abandoned along the road or kept in warehouses without a thought to distribution. Men were starving and dying at Valley Forge due to this inefficiency and neglect.

Her husband and some of Anna’s brothers were in Valley Forge where they were wounded or killed. Anna cannot stand by and watch the carnage continue. Benjamin Harrison asks her to take an encoded message to General Washington in Valley Forge. She leaves her children with family and sets out on the journey from Virginia to Valley Forge in Pennsylvania.

Both Tories and Loyalists are against the Revolution and are supporting King George the Third and his armies. General Gates is openly opposing General Washington and Anna is ruthlessly pursued by the enemy throughout her ride.

The exploits of Benedict Arnold are well known but Anna Stones’ contributions were nearly lost to history. Anyone who enjoys and embraces history will find this book engaging and entertaining as well as informed. 5 stars – CE Williams

When she learns her brothers have become ill, Anna Stone resolves to take what supplies she can to Valley Forge where her brothers and husband have been fighting for liberty. Along the way, she learns of those who are aiding the British and of a plot to overthrow General Washington. She agrees to carry a message of warning, but will that put her in a danger she cannot escape?

This was certainly an interesting read. I don’t read fiction set in this time period often, but the details the author includes were interesting. The characters felt as though they fit in the time period. Anna simply wanted to help her husband and her decision to take supplies was logical, which I appreciated.

I didn’t care much for how the story was told. There is a lot of jumping back and forth between years. There is her riding towards Valley Forge, her as a child, and her meeting her husband. There were times when the flash backs made no sense and didn’t seem to add anything to the story being told. Also the font for the letters were difficult to read.

Overall, it was enjoyable. I think readers who are interested in the Revolutionary War will enjoy this tale.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. My only prior knowledge of the American revolution is from watching Hamilton so I was unsure at the start how much I would be able to follow along with the story but I found this wasn't a problem. Seeing and meeting the characters from Hamilton was also quite exciting. The first chapter was an excellent hook into the story although I was initially disappointed when the timeline moved back to before Anna started her journey as this was slower paced and less exciting but the more I read the more I was interested to see how Anna ended up in that situation.
I liked the timeline switching between present and past as it kept the pace of the story up and gave depth to Anna's character and helped the reader understand Anna's motivations. The ending was solid and comforting although it would have been nice to see the reunion with the whole family and to see the consequences unfold for some characters. The final letter from Jeremiah was a lovely way to round off the story.
I would recommend this book regardless of prior knowledge of the revolution as none is needed to understand the story, particularly to anyone who is interested in hearing the true story of a courageous woman.

On a formatting note, the font chosen to represent the letters between Benjamin and Anna is difficult to read in the kindle app,

Title: Answering Liberty’s Call: Anna Stone’s Daring Ride to Valley Forge
Series: Ladies of the Revolution, Book #1
Author: Tracy Lawson
Genre: Historical Fiction based on fact.
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Format: Kindle (read), Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 340
Source: NetGalley
Cover: Striking and perfect for this book.

My sketch…
The year — 1778. Based on the author’s 6th-great-grandmother, Anna Stone does the unthinkable. With her family ill & starving at Valley Forge, she defies custom & rides alone — it’s 200 miles on horseback. She’s a mother of three & a healer. She feels she has to go despite the dangers of the terrain & people who prey on travelers. That alone makes for a good story, but she learns about a plot to overthrow Gen. Washington and now her ride is even more important …

My review…
When I read the description, I crossed my fingers and hoped my request would be honored because this book is right down my reading alley. As a genealogy nut with ancestors who were here before & during the Revolutionary War, Answering Liberty’s Call had a strong appeal. Add that the author, Tracy Lawson, based this on her sixth-great-grandmother, I really looked forward to reading this book.

Answering Liberty's Call is well researched and the writing itself is done extremely well. The book centers on Anna Stone, our heroine. The plot outlined in the book’s synopsis is spot on. But … yes, sadly there is a “but”.

BUT the pacing going from her current time (1778) then bouncing back in time to an earlier memory. Then back again to 1778. Like a ping-pong ball back to earlier times. Back and forth. Back and forth. Now, if you can read this book several hours at a time, it might not bother you as much. But I could not do that. The “bounce” threw the pacing completely off for me. By 50% into the book, it became aggravating.

In the “Afterword“, the author tells about her research into Anna Stone which, of course, appealed to the genealogist in me. Next is the section, “For Additional Reading” which contains books, etc. for those who want to research further. At the very end are “Endnotes“. As stated earlier, Ms. Lawson did her research and brought many facts into Answering Liberty’s Call. I added an additional category, Reference|History, because of these sections.

Rating is 3 stars because of the pacing bouncing back and forth between 1778 and earlier times throughout the book. However, if the pacing does not bother you, then this book is for you. By the way, Tracy Lawson is well-known for her historical novels.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Answering Liberty’s Call from the publisher, BooksGoSocial, via NetGalley. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Oh — one last addition, loved the script font used for letters & documents.

#AnsweringLibertysCall #TracyLawson #NetGalley

Review posted via. Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4688735061
Beautiful, woman-empowering story.
1778. Amid the American Revolution, Anna Stone is at home caring for her three children as her loved ones are fighting in the war. Anna does what she can but longs to do more to help. Soon the healer is in a position to help her husband and brothers on the battlefield. Riding over 200 miles on horseback, Anna journeys to bring life-saving supplies directly to the battlefield. On the expedition to help, Anna comes into critical information that could change the outcome of the war. With her enemies hot on her tail, it is a race against time to help the ones she loves.

I enjoyed this feminist tale of a strong woman who is determined to help her loved ones. Anna is a woman, a wife, and a mother who goes to any length to help those on the battlefield. Doing what she can to bring the supplies and help save lives. I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to my friends and family.

I am writing this review for Net Galley. When I saw a Historical Fiction novel that I could read for Net Galley that sounded right up my alley I was so excited. However, I don't know what happened, but I struggled for the longest time to get into the story. It was also hard figuring out the characters connection with another.

I am going to be honest here and say I am not going to write the review. One thing that was a very big struggle was reading the letters. The handwriting on the letters was very hard to read on the kindle. I even tried to make the font bigger, but it didn't help. The font on the letters should be changed. I sometimes wonder if I would have read this story in paperback if I would have been able to understand it better. The author's writing is very good I just wish that I could have liked the story.

Tracy Lawson's Answering Liberty's Call was an okay read for me. I will be giving it three and a half stars.

I was glued to the pages, put through the ringer of emotion, and SO FREAKING INVESTED. These characters and their story will own you, let yourself go and enjoy the ride.

This was an interesting historical fiction. I enjoyed the time period, and I thought Anna was a great heroine! I hope there are more books to come!

This was an enjoyed, well written, descriptive book of an amazing woman, Anna Asbury Stone, who’s trying to get an important message to Valley Forge in 1778.

This starts off with Anna trying to get to Valley Forge, then flashes back to earlier in her life l, where we get to see her as a healer, a friend and a loving wife and mother along with the exceptionally brave person she is. What really drew me in was both the vivid details of life during the 1770s and the struggles highlighted in this book that show just how many things had to go right for Washington’s forces to defeat the British.

This appears to be the first book in a series so I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about courageous women who made a different during the Revolutionary War.

This isn't a period of history that I know a great deal about but after reading this my interested is piqued and I will be lookng more into it. Well written with a compelling storyline that is well researched and well developed characters. I will definitely be looking for more from this author