When in the fall of 1777 it was feared that the redcoats would invade Philadelphia, Gilbert and Jenifer Emmet were sent to stay with their cousins in the peaceful little village of Valley Forge. But stirring times were in store for them! First came the enemy, burning and plundering. Then General Washington’s army arrived—defeated, ragged and starving—to take up winter quarters.

This is a story of that winter and the following spring, as seen through the eyes of the children—the story of their courageous efforts to help the army and their exciting adventures while doing so. It is told in chapters of mounting interest, with the color and eye for detail of a born storyteller. Yet the author, as in her other historical books, sticks firmly to authenticated facts in reflecting a period.

The courage and sheer determination of the soldiers, the good humor with which they accepted hardships, the readiness of most of the townsfolk to cooperate and to stint themselves in order that the troops might have more, the danger that lay in disunity and indifference of a few—all this makes an impressive picture. This is an American story that boys and girls will enjoy. — The New York Times

From the dust jacket