Paxton's War — Kerry Newcomb

As the British armies march on Charleston, a young girl dreams of love

For two years, General Washington and his rebels have outfoxed the British army, humiliating them so soundly that the redcoats have been forced to change strategy. Let Washington have the Northern colonies, they decide -- we will attack the South. And the prime target, the jewel of the Southern states, is Charleston. In this cosmopolitan port city where war is about to erupt, Colleen McClagan watches the sea and waits for her lover's return.

It has been four years since Jason Paxton crossed the Atlantic to study music in Europe, and Colleen has counted every day. When he finally returns to the colonies, the two find they are united not only by love, but also by a thirst for liberty. As Colleen writes revolutionary pamphlets, Jason joins the patriots as a secret agent, staking his life on the hope that the land of his birth will one day be free.