The Traitor's Wife, by Allison Pataki

Characters
Real	Fictional
Peggy Shippen Arnold Judge Edward Shippen, father Margaret – wife Betsy – older sister, married Edward Burd Benedict Arnold Major David Franks – aide-de-camp Edward Shippen Arnold – Peggy and Arnold’s son John Andre – British officer, became Chief of British Intelligence to recruit spies, 12/1879 John Stansbury – store owner, recruited Benedict Arnold and Peggy to become spies Joseph and Blanche Reed Meg Chow General George Washington General William Howe Alexander Hamilton Marquis de Lafayette	Clara Bell Caleb Little Oma – Clara’s grandmother, deceased Mrs. Quigley – housekeeper Mr. Quigley – butler Hannah Breunig – cook Brigitte Breunig - chambermaid

 For Discussion:

1. How difficult would it be in today’s world to live like Clara and not be able to speak your own mind? At the beginning of chapter two when Peggy asked her a question, she reflected, “Oma had always told her to tell the truth, but she wavered; were maids honest to their ladies, or did they choose the answer that was most polite?”
2. Would the outcome have been any different if Clara had chosen to give her own opinion at times instead of what Peggy wanted to hear?

3. Several people took things that were not their own.  Was this more common in war?  Should they have been more honest?  For example: Andre took goods from Benjamin Franklin’s house, Benedict Arnold took goods from the closed shops, and Peggy accepted items that were taken without permission from Arnold.
4. Were you able to connect with Clara even though her life was so different from what we know?  How was she any different from a slave?
5. Discuss the people/characters and their motivations and actions.  Who did you like or dislike and why?
6. Did you learn anything about our country’s history through this book?
7. How well did the author portray the real characters and the fictional ones?
8. Discuss your reading experience.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         *****  First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hard copy from amazon.com and hard copy from wordassociation.com.  Click on upper right link.