The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

by Ann Rinaldi

Book Overview

"Carefully researched and lovingly written, Rinaldi's latest presents a girl indentured to John and Abigail Adams during the tense period surrounding the 1770 Massacre. . . . Fortuitously timed, a novel that illuminates a moment from our past that has strong parallels to recent events. Bibliography."--Kirkus Reviews

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152050787
• ISBN13: 9780152050788
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 333 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.4" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 10 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 7

Customer Reviews

Wonderful

A great and interesting read.

BULLSEYE!! GREAT BOOK!!

Read this, and you'll feel sooo smart...trust me! I was TEACHING MY HISTORY teacher about the Boston Massacre after I was done! This was my very first Rinaldi book, and for a while it was my favorite book in the world! This entriguing story got me hooked on reading. I got up to 10,000 pages in 4 months. Yep, it'll get you started! But anyways, Rachel Marsh is a humble nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams. Everything in her life is comfortable...the home is nice, the children are wonderful, and she is treated by her emploers much better than a simple servant. Then, they come. One day, fleets of British troops invade Boston, and that's where Rachel meets and befriends Private Mathew Kilroy. After the Boston Massacre happens, Rachel must make a descision...break off her friendship with Mathew and remain with the Adams, or continue to be his friend and be fired! This story is so real, it almost depresses you in the sad parts. I really loved this book, and would HIGHLY RECCOMEND it to anyone!

5 STARS, A GIVEN!

I LOVED this book. It's about a 14 year old girl (Rachel Marsh) who is a nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams during the Boston Massacre. Rachel befriends a British Private, Mathew Kilroy. When this happens, she must choose between her position w/the Adams', or her freindship w/,Mathew. I won't give away anymore, but this book is suspenseful, well written, and it even has a bit of romance. I couldn't put this book down when I got through the first coulple of pages!I loved it! I would also recommend Finnishing Becca, In My Father's House, Cast Two Shadows, The Secret of Sarah Revere, An Aqaintance With Darkness, The Coffin Quilt, and A Break With Charity. Rinaldi is the best author I have ever read from!

The Fifth of March

The Fifth of March Do you want a novel with romance, history, and excitementwrapped up into one book? Well for anyone eleven and older, The Fifth of March is the book for you! Rachel Marsh is an indentured servant to John and Abigail Adams in the 1770's when the British troops first come to Boston until after the Boston Massacre. Rachel ends up falling in love with a British sentry named Matthew who is stationed outside the Adams' house. Then the Boston Massacre happens occurs... what happens next? That's up to you to discover! Ann Rinaldi's understanding of the Revolutionary War and the descriptions of all the events that Rachel encounters makes this a very suspenseful book. Read this well done historical fiction tale of a girl caught in the ordeals and excitements of her time.

Pretty darn good for historical fiction

Because I was reading another of Ann Rinaldi's books in English class (Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons), I decided to give some of her other books a try. The first one I picked up was The Fifth of March, a story of the Boston Massacre.The Fifth of March follows the story of young Rachel Marsh, a teenage indentured servant in the home of John and Abigail Adams. Rachel is a loyal servant, but what she wants most in the world is to have a Place, like the women she admired have. Living in Boston, a rebellious city, during the years preceding the Revolution, Rachel had a lot of oppurtunities to make opinions about political situations. Many of her friends are Patriots, but Rachel also befriends Matthew Kilroy, a private in the British army. Rachel is forced to make many life-changing decisions throughout the course of the novel, and that is what makes the book so interesting. It's not all facts that I could recite straight out of my history textbook, but it has an interesting plot that keeps you interested in the story.Don't get me wrong, as far as I could tell, the events in this book match up perfectly with history (and believe me, I know enough about the American Revolution to last a lifetime). Rachel Marsh herself was a real person, according to the author's note. And another thing that says wonders about the author: I am currently reading another of her novels, taking place in the same time period, and the stories are completely different. Ann Rinaldi has an extrodinary gift for writing about history in an interesting way, and I reccommend this novel to all!

A good Revolutionary War romance

Ann Rinaldi is coming to dominate the historical romance field for young adults. Her novels always find the heart of the matter, regardless of the period. "The Fifth of March" is no exception, as it places young Rachel Marsh in the middle, between the Patriots like her employer John Adams, and her young love, the British soldier Matthew. The outcome is taut with excitement. My only complaint, and that is as a teacher and not a reader, is that the history isn't quite detailed enough. The issues driving the Boston Massacre aren't laid out as clearly as I would like them to be, but the story is good enough for me to ignore that complaint. A good, romantic read for young lovers of history.