Loyalist Runaway

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Eleven-year-old Kitty Byles decides to run away to find her uncle Tommy,
who joined the Yankee rebels when her family fled from Boston to Halifax
in 1776. During this adventurous story, she meets a runaway slave named
Abraham; they become friends, each coming at last to a reconciliation
and reunion with his or her family.

Loyalist Runaway examines the problems of a family divided by political
ideologies, of a young girl’s position and family expectations in the
eighteenth century, of slavery, of ideals of independence, of broken
promises, and of differing moral convictions. The book is filled with
remarkable detail and careful research about the War of Independence and
about the ships, clothing, and lifestyle in the eastern-seaboard
communities of that era. Smyth also has a good ear for dialect and
conversations, which seem appropriate for the time period.

Loyalist Runaway would be an excellent choice for a read-aloud book or
novel study for classes studying Loyalists and the American Revolution.
This book’s well-crafted, fast-paced, and moving writing style would
help young people understand Canada’s early white settlers, while
simultaneously presenting a sympathetic portrayal of a young girl’s
growing up. Smyth’s story is based on the diaries of a Nova Scotia
family. It is highly recommended for intermediate grades.