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Critically Recognized
  • Thunder and Mercy by Jennifer Robin Barr book cover
  • Thunder and Mercy by Jennifer Robin Barr book cover
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Thunder and Mercy

by Jennifer Robin Barr

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A diary linking two eras

$19.15 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praised by The Wall Street Journal

    The Wall Street Journal praises the novel’s intrigue and espionage and calls it a gripping historical novel.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A diary linking two eras

Set in 1979 at Mount Pleasant, a historic mansion outside Philadelphia, the novel connects twelve-year-old Theodora “Thunder” Underwood’s summer with the diary of Mercy, a girl who lived during the American Revolution. The discovery draws Thunder into questions about an unresolved secret and a Revolutionary-era spy network, with a prowler and a hidden ring among the clues. The shift between the 1770s and 1970s gives the mystery a dual historical frame, while Thunder’s difficult summer circumstances bring friendship, family, and finding her own voice into the story.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Middle-grade readers interested in historical mysteries and detective stories
  • Readers who enjoy stories that connect the American Revolution with a later period
  • Readers interested in themes of friendship, family, and self-expression

Themes

Historical mysteryEspionageFriendship and familyFinding one's voice

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Intrigue and espionage abound in 'Thunder and Mercy', a gripping historical novel by Jennifer Robin Barr set in 1970s Philadelphia... 'Thunder and Mercy' proves its point: Uncovering the past can be a thrilling way of playing detective."--The Wall Street Journal

★ School Library Journal, starred review

Is a hidden diary the key to an unsolved secret from the American Revolution?

It's 1979 and twelve-year-old Theodora "Thunder" Underwood is dreading her summer vacation once again. Every year, her scientist parents disappear on far-flung scientific expeditions, leaving her with relatives who clearly don't want her around.

But this summer, Thunder is sent to Mount Pleasant, her aunt's historic yet crumbling old mansion outside of Philadelphia once owned by Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold. When Thunder discovers a mysterious diary written by Mercy, a girl her age who lived through the American Revolution, Thunder is plunged into a mystery that involves a shadowy prowler, a hidden ring, and mysterious spies--making her summer far more exciting than she ever expected.

Fast-paced and full of twists, this suspenseful middle grade novel transports young readers between the 1770s and 1970s as Thunder uncovers the truth behind a Revolutionary-era spy network--and discovers the importance of friendship, family, and her own voice along the way.
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