"Mirrors & Smoke" is a story of one woman’s courage and perseverance to save her family when the United States invades Canada in the War of 1812. Rebecca Plummer is a herbalist and midwife in Niagara, Upper Canada. Her situation both before and during the War of 1812 is complicated by her feminist attitude and activities to help other women, both of which run counter to the colonial establishment. She negotiates colonial life and turbulent times in the years leading up to and during the war. When the United States invades Canada, Rebecca's dedication to healing is put to the test, and she struggles to keep her family and community together despite wartime deprivation.
Mirrors & Smoke captivates from the start and delivers a moving tale of perseverance in the face of tragedy. Rebecca Plummer is a healer, midwife, and caregiver to women whose strength has been diminished by childbearing, near starvation, and abuse. In 1812, when the United States invades Canada, Rebecca’s dedication to healing is put to the test. Told from multiple perspectives, the reader is given interwoven views of the war, and contrasting perceptions about Rebecca and her life. Based on real people and historical events, this fictionalized account is told from the Canadian perspective and presents a rarely seen view of life in war-torn, rural Canada.—Donna D. Conrad, award-winning author of House of the Moon: Surviving the Sixties
A Piece of Little Known History Told Brilliantly
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2023 by Jenny G.
The thing I love most about reading historical fiction is learning more about places and pieces of history that I didn't fully appreciate before. In this book, Adrienne Stevenson does a brilliant job immersing us in the war of 1812 - from the Canadian side, and from the point of view of the strong and engaging Rebecca Plummer, among others.
Many Americans don't realize the US invaded Canada during the War of 1812. This book follows not only the travails of Rebecca Plummer as she works to keep her family and her community safe, but includes an entire cast of point of view characters that help illuminate the politics and the humanity behind the war.
Readers who like to be immersed in history, becoming part of the story through the eyes of the characters, will love this story and recommend it to others.
"Mirrors & Smoke" placed 3rd in the Historical Novel category of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2023 competition.
