YOUNG NATHAN

A beautifully written fictionalized biography of Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary hero whose execution by the British inspired a fervor of patriotism in the American armies that nothing else could have done. This story of his childhood and student days at Yale, of the strict father and the many brothers and sisters among whom he grew up, helps a reader to understand as never before what gave him the courage to stand on the scaffold at the end of his brief life and utter the immortal words of patriotism and faith. The realistic, human pictures of the personalities of that fascinating period (Washington, Revere, Arnold, etc.) make the era and the ideals at stake seem very close. Hale's exploits make a fascinating story, his love for his step-sister provides the romance, and his thoughts and emotions when he accepts the assignment to spy for his country and his General are well expressed. New York and Boston are the locales. Highly recommended.