[Missy Ashbrook]

In seventh grade (2001) I read a young adult or children's book set in the revolutionary war, about a girl in Boston, I believe, who fell in love with this man... a tory... who was actually a spy for the whigs and was only pretending to be a tory. It's been driving me nuts for years because I can't remember who wrote the book or what it was called, for some reason I think the title has something to do with "drums in the field" but nothing I search brings that up.

I don't know if this is helpful but I have specific memories from the book... the man the girl fell in love with was her writing instructor or tutor, he called her writing "chicken scratchings". At one point in the book she wore a yellow dress and I remember the author describing it as having a "scoop neck." I remember that the girl spied on her supposed-Tory tutor's office and found a letter on his desk that seemed pro-Tory, but when she found a separate piece of paper that had certain holes cut out of it, she placed it on the pro-Tory letter and the words that appeared through the holes were obviously evidence he was a whig spy. I remember that when the girl and her tutor were finally falling in love he said to her that he was "nine years older than her". I remember that at the end of the book she stayed locked in her house while British soldiers fought outside throughout her city, passing near her house and shooting things with guns and cannons and stuff. See, I have all these amazing quotes or memories but I can't remember anything useful, like character names... or better yet, the author.. or the title... anyway--if you can figure this out for me--that would be awesome.