The Counterfeit Heart

Book excerpt: "Thomas Fleming is one of my favorite writers because he combines powerful storytelling with the skills of a superb historian." - John Jakes In his usual fashion, Thomas Fleming intricately weaves fact and fiction, bringing to life this dramatic period of American history. Although most people know the main facts and major players of the Revolutionary War, Fleming incorporates the minor stories and unknown details of colonial life through the fictional adventures of Louisa Bellamy and Dennis O'Leary. Louisa Bellamy is the star of the American Company, a British acting troupe performing in the colonies since 1752. When the American Revolution explodes, the Continental Congress bans the theater as a corrupting influence in the new republic and the company is abruptly ordered to depart for Jamaica. But Louisa decides to stay in America in the hopes of finding a husband, a quest that forces her to deny the love of fellow actor Dennis O'Leary, who later becomes a spy for the rebel Americans. Their tangled story continues through the duration of the Revolution with twists and turns that challenge Louisa's control of her counterfeit heart.