In these troubled times when many in Washington are making a mockery of our Constitution, J. Scott Payne reminds us where we came from in his rousing saga of the Revolutionary War, THE ORPHAN. 

THE ORPHAN is the story of Rob Scott, an immigrant from Scotland, who is orphaned during the voyage from the land of his birth to America. Taken under the wing of a kindly couple who are sailing on the same ship, he and his adopted parents are, upon arrival, indentured to a thoroughly unpleasant man.

The year is 1775 and, after a disturbing encounter with the British Army, Rob finds himself banding with a group he believes are farmers who are engaging the redcoats in open fire. The men he is fighting with, we find out are, indeed, Minutemen and, thus, begins Rob’s journey through the American Revolution.

THE ORPHAN is a rousing, multi-faceted, saga in which we get the chance to meet many of the illustrious fathers of our country, including General George Washington himself.

Author Payne takes us through the minutia of many famous battles and some not so famous, always keeping us focused on the experiences of a common soldier who, in essence, was the backbone of the Revolution.

Payne, once a reporter, who has penned several acclaimed novels of WWII and a breathtaking account of the Civil War, has now given us a birds’ eye view of what it was like to be a soldier in the Continental Army.

THE ORPHAN is most highly recommended, especially for those who love military history and are Revolutionary War buffs. Five great big shiny stars.