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Or Give Me Death
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Read Or Give Me Death

Or Give Me Death (2003) (edit title/settings)

A Novel of Patrick Henry's Family

by Ann Rinaldi (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Patrick Henry, the famous statesman, has a secret: He keeps his wife in the cellar. Slowly losing her mind, Sarah Henry has become a danger to herself and her children. But daughter Anne has a secret of her own: She knows which child will inherit their mother's madness. Told from the point of... read more

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Or Give Me Death is a very emotional book. The time period was the 1770s, so our troops were being marshaled and Patrick Henry’s famous speech. The Revolutionary War also started. This book is about Patrick Henry’s family. It all starts when his oldest daughter finds out that her... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Or Give Me Death is a very emotional book. The time period was the 1770s, so our troops were being marshaled and Patrick Henry’s famous speech. The Revolutionary War also started. This book is about Patrick Henry’s family. It all starts when his oldest daughter finds out that her mother is going mad. Soon, their cook finds out too. Patsy, the daughter, has to work to keep it a secret from the other children except for John, the second youngest child. When Patrick Henry comes home from traveling, he locks his wife up in the cellar to keep the children safe. About two months later, daughter Anne finds out and learns which child out of Patsy, John, herself, William, and baby Edward will inherit their mother’s madness. Then, when Patrick Henry goes to get his wife to send her to a other place to stay, she pleaded for her freedom, saying, “Please, give me freedom or give me death.” Two weeks later, Patrick Henry gave his famous speech that changed America.

There are two main characters in this book: Pasty and Anne. Pasty had to hide their mother and her illness from the rest of the family, and balance her coming wedding with controlling Anne and William. Patsy could overcome all her challenges because she had perseverance and strength, even though she couldn’t hide her mother forever. She also just arranged that herself and her fiance would help each other control the children. Anne had to endure Patsy ordering her around because she told Patsy it was herself that would inherit the illness and her brother John being sent off to war. Also, her father married the girl that John loved, which drove John mad, and Anne knew the whole time it was John who would go insane like their mother. She rebelled against Patsy whenever she could because she felt helpless against everything that was going wrong in her life.

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First Sentence edit see section history

I WAS THE FIRST ONE in the family to know when Mama started to go insane.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Great Episodes. (publisher series)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Ann Rinaldi (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Gulliver Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0152166874
Page Count: 240

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.R459Or 2003
  • Dewey: Fic--dc21

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