Mrs. Arnold
Peggy Shippen was the highest paid spy of the Revolutionary War at age 20. She committed treason against the United States with her husband, Benedict Arnold, and her former lover, the British soldier John Andre. This is her story.
The story of Peggy Shippen is my favorite kind of story - that of a woman using everything she has to get what she needs against seemingly impossible obstacles. Since women's history has been largely unwritten, we must record lost histories by filling in the gaps left by lack of primary source materials with imagination. Writing about questions of treason and loyalty to country during this crazy time in American politics has been exciting as we live through those same questions now. Were the first Patriots actually patriotic or were they being wildly unpatriotic to England? Should you remain loyal to a country that’s been disloyal to you? Answering questions like this (and raising even more) has formed a satisfying backdrop to what is, at its heart, the story of a girl torn between two men she loves.
Currently optioned.
