355

A Novel: The Women of Washington’s Spy Ring

By: Kit Sergeant

Narrated by: Amy Landon

Who was the mysterious 355?   

Culper Ring members such as Robert Townsend and Hercules Mulligan are well-known for the part they played in the Revolutionary War, but who was the mysterious 355 who could "outwit them all"? 

Inspired by many of the same characters featured in AMC's Turn and the Broadway musical Hamilton, 355: The Women of Washington's Spy Ring chronicles the lives of three remarkable women who use daring, skill, and, yes, a bit of flirtation, to help liberate America.   

British sympathizer Margaret (Meg) Moncrieffe expects to find the carefree America she remembers as a youth when she returns from her Irish boarding school. Instead, she finds the new country at war, with her father on one side and her new love, Aaron Burr, on the other. When her misguided attempt to end the war results in dire consequences for the Continental Army, Meg switches allegiances in order to amend the damage she caused.   

After her husband, Jonathan, is captured by the British and dies aboard one of the notorious prison ships, a pregnant Elizabeth Burgin realizes she is stronger than she once thought. When a prominent member of the Culper Ring enlists her help on a heist of the prison ships, Elizabeth readily accepts, putting herself and her family in jeopardy in order to save the lives of strangers. 

Patriot Sally Townsend wants nothing more than freedom for America. When her family is forced to take in enemy soldiers, Sally seizes the opportunity to garner information from them and pass it on to her brother, Robert, knowing one false move could result in the noose for both of them. Instead of finding herself in danger when British intelligence officer Major John Andre shows up at her family's doorstep, Sally finds herself falling in love. But Major Andre is playing the same dangerous game as her and Robert, albeit for the other side.    

Told from the viewpoints of these three women - including the one operating under the code name 355 - 355: The Women of Washington's Spy Ring is an absorbing tale of family, duty, love, and betrayal.

©2017 Kit Sergeant (P)2018 Tantor

Don’t let the narrator discourage you from this enjoyable book

Are there better narrators? Yes. However, I’ve heard FAR worse. The quality of the story far outweighs the faults of the person reading. If you’re a fan of the show TURN or the musical Hamilton, you will enjoy this book based on real members of revolutionary war spies.

Captivating read

This book should be on the best seller list as it navigates the lives of 3 young women who were possibly 355 “Lady” in Washington’s spy ring. All of these women existed but you’ve never heard of them. Now we know their stories

Best 355 Story Yet

I've read several 355 books so far and this one has been the best and the most informative. I enjoyed the prologue which gave further information on each of the individuals. I highly recommend this book

Interesting and engaging

While I was not a fan of the narration, I also didn’t want to stop listening. I am very interested in the Culper Ring and despite this being a novel, I still enjoyed the insights and familiar names. If you can get past the audio and just pay attention to the story, you won’t regret the listen!

Starts painfully slow but don’t give up

It’s a good book and I think uses a lot of historical facts to inform the story. I found it worth the time to read and I enjoyed it as well. Benedict Arnold’s betrayal of the Americans plays a central role in the story.