What do you think?
Rate this book
A Notable Occupation
How did the Jewish community on a tiny island in the Caribbean help America win the Revolutionary War?
Rachel Meares is unhappily married to a German merchant, in love with a British physician, and forced to spy for the American rebels by her African slaves, who know too many of her secrets, including how her brother and father are smuggling guns to the Americans from a Dutch island in the Caribbean. There seems to be no escape for Rachel from her marriage or from the war when the rebel spy blackmailing Rachel decides to take matters into his own hands.
Set against the British occupation of Newport in Narragansett Bay and of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean Sea during the American War for Independence, A Notable Occupation is a story about a young Jewish woman trying to find love in a time of war.
Rachel Meares is unhappily married to a German merchant, in love with a British physician, and forced to spy for the American rebels by her African slaves, who know too many of her secrets, including how her brother and father are smuggling guns to the Americans from a Dutch island in the Caribbean. There seems to be no escape for Rachel from her marriage or from the war when the rebel spy blackmailing Rachel decides to take matters into his own hands.
Set against the British occupation of Newport in Narragansett Bay and of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean Sea during the American War for Independence, A Notable Occupation is a story about a young Jewish woman trying to find love in a time of war.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2013
About the author
Patricia O'Sullivan
11 books21 followersPatricia O'Sullivan is the author of three historical novels about the Sephardic Jewish experience in the New World: Hope of Israel, Legend of the Dead, and A Notable Occupation. In 2014, she published her first new adult novel, Awesome Justice. She lives in Mississippi with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 13, 2014
Looking at this story based solely on its contents, I should have loved it. It's extremely detailed about what happened in Newport during the Revolutionary war. This was interesting to me, as was the Jewish customs/ways/beliefs that were mentioned.
It has a strong heroine, strong in the sense that she overcomes a lot. The tragedies that befall her are never-ending to the point it's rather depressing. The loss of her mother, her father's abandoning her into the arms of a brutal man. Three miscarriages. Beatings. Lack of respect from her own husband, slaves (I normally take the side of slaves, but I didn't like these characters). Lack of respect from her own Jewish community. Separation from her spouse. Being held up on a ship and spoken to as if she's dirt just because she's Jewish... And she survives all this.
But I must confess, for a reason I find hard to pinpoint, I didn't like her.
I liked the hero even less. A British doctor who finds himself in America during the revolutionary war, he seems like a good fellow. But his attitude toward his wife stank. I persistently found myself doubting that he truly loved the heroine. I think he just wanted to marry a Jewish woman to tick off his father. When she is accused of being a spy, he jumps into bed with another woman and declares the heroine a dirty, greed Jewess. Is that how it's going to be every time she makes you mad? In the heat of anger...isn't that when our true feelings come out?
And this: She was unbelievably competent for a woman.
Seriously? Screw you, dude.
Another thing I hated about this book was the instant love. They were immediately in lurve with each other. Not even ten minutes went by, it seems. This was so eye-rolling.
Long review short: I abandoned this at 75%. I know, I know, to invest all that time reading...but I seriously wasn't enjoying this tale and didn't care at that point if the couple never saw each other again. It also has enough typos to make me frown.
Full review and quotes: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
It has a strong heroine, strong in the sense that she overcomes a lot. The tragedies that befall her are never-ending to the point it's rather depressing. The loss of her mother, her father's abandoning her into the arms of a brutal man. Three miscarriages. Beatings. Lack of respect from her own husband, slaves (I normally take the side of slaves, but I didn't like these characters). Lack of respect from her own Jewish community. Separation from her spouse. Being held up on a ship and spoken to as if she's dirt just because she's Jewish... And she survives all this.
But I must confess, for a reason I find hard to pinpoint, I didn't like her.
I liked the hero even less. A British doctor who finds himself in America during the revolutionary war, he seems like a good fellow. But his attitude toward his wife stank. I persistently found myself doubting that he truly loved the heroine. I think he just wanted to marry a Jewish woman to tick off his father. When she is accused of being a spy, he jumps into bed with another woman and declares the heroine a dirty, greed Jewess. Is that how it's going to be every time she makes you mad? In the heat of anger...isn't that when our true feelings come out?
And this: She was unbelievably competent for a woman.
Seriously? Screw you, dude.
Another thing I hated about this book was the instant love. They were immediately in lurve with each other. Not even ten minutes went by, it seems. This was so eye-rolling.
Long review short: I abandoned this at 75%. I know, I know, to invest all that time reading...but I seriously wasn't enjoying this tale and didn't care at that point if the couple never saw each other again. It also has enough typos to make me frown.
Full review and quotes: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
April 25, 2020
Not quite 4 stars. I should have loved this novel, after all; the premise of the Jewish contribution to the American Revolution, historical sites and figures coupled with romance and intrigue should have warranted five stars! Nevertheless, I never truly warmed towards either the heroine or the hero, for that matter! It was not a Clean Read. There were distressing and uncomfortable adult situations, and while not pornographic; a more sensitive reader will not appreciate the sexual violence and occasional swearing. The narrative is told in alternating chapters, with both Rachel Meares and Tristan Ames relating their story in the First Person. Because each character repeated information, told by the other's point of view, the novel seemed to drag a bit. There was continual hardship and angst AND misunderstanding. I was not comfortable reading some of the more derogatory details about Rachel's family and their business. I did enjoy how the author tied things up at the end, in particular with Tristan. The detailed, meticulous research about Sephardic Jews, the Dutch and the American Revolution was appreciated and I would urge others to inform themselves of these under acknowledged events.
April 20, 2013
A Notable Occupation - Patricia O'Sullivan
The Jewish contribution to the American Revolution in hopes of finding a country in which they could call a home. The author takes us to Newport,RI where there is a colony of Jewish people residing making a life for themselves until the British fleet come calling. Most of the Jewish flee the British occupation during the American Revolution to other places in the colonies most notably Leicester, MA where it welcomes Aaron Lopez family to safety. Then the author takes us to the island of Eustatia which is a Dutch colony. This is something new that I have learned from reading this novel. Never knew of the island Estatia and its relation to the Jewish people and its hand in the American Revolution.
With all the many historical figures mentioned in the novel. I loved that the author had a description for each historical figure and what and how they were connected to the American Revolution, Newport Rhode Isalnd and Eustastia.
The Jewish contribution to the American Revolution in hopes of finding a country in which they could call a home. The author takes us to Newport,RI where there is a colony of Jewish people residing making a life for themselves until the British fleet come calling. Most of the Jewish flee the British occupation during the American Revolution to other places in the colonies most notably Leicester, MA where it welcomes Aaron Lopez family to safety. Then the author takes us to the island of Eustatia which is a Dutch colony. This is something new that I have learned from reading this novel. Never knew of the island Estatia and its relation to the Jewish people and its hand in the American Revolution.
With all the many historical figures mentioned in the novel. I loved that the author had a description for each historical figure and what and how they were connected to the American Revolution, Newport Rhode Isalnd and Eustastia.
July 14, 2014
There is nothing better than reading an historical fiction novel that gives you a deeper insight and more knowledge of events in history, and “A Notable Occupation” is much more than I expected. Author Patricia O'Sullivan gave me a story that I knew nothing about... the Jewish people's involvement in the American Revolution. The story is set during the British occupation of Newport in Narragansett Bay and in Jews community on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean Sea.
The book is definitely well-researched and well written. The story moves along swiftly, with intrigue to entice the reader to keep reading long past bedtime. The main characters, Rachel and Tristan truly show a strength of character and bravery; an encouragement to us all being able to soldier on and make the best of things despite the odds against you.
If readers are looking for a novel full of rich historical detail, complex relationships and a completely mesmerizing, pick up a copy of O'Sullivan's “A Notable Occupation”
The book is definitely well-researched and well written. The story moves along swiftly, with intrigue to entice the reader to keep reading long past bedtime. The main characters, Rachel and Tristan truly show a strength of character and bravery; an encouragement to us all being able to soldier on and make the best of things despite the odds against you.
If readers are looking for a novel full of rich historical detail, complex relationships and a completely mesmerizing, pick up a copy of O'Sullivan's “A Notable Occupation”
November 20, 2014
This historical fiction novel was very interesting and informative. It included information about real people in addition to the fictional characters. I felt that the fictional characters were not well-developed, however.
August 22, 2014
An enjoyable novel describing the role and treatment of the Jews during the Revolutionary War.
The story tended to drag on and on as additional layers of complications were added.
The story tended to drag on and on as additional layers of complications were added.
April 7, 2020
"A Notable Occupation" is a historical fiction about how the Jewish community on a tiny island in the Caribbean helped America win the Revolutionary War. While the main characters in the book are surely fictional, the large events described in the book, the British occupation of Rhode Island and St. Eustatius in the Caribbean, the two locations in which this book is set, are very real, as are the names and actions of the British officers described in the story.
Jews in Colonial America struggled and won rights that were inconceivable and nonexistent in Europe. Jews struggled for and won the rights to equal economic opportunity, to own land, to go to higher secular education, to serve in the armed militias, to vote and in some colonies to become members of the legislative bodies. In some colonies the struggle was easy, in others it was very hard.
On Oct. 25. 1765, a group of Philadelphia merchants gathered in the State House to sign the non-importation agreement to fight the hated Stamp Tax of the British government. The first man to step forward to sign his name was the president of Mikve Israel Congregation, Philadelphia's only synagogue, Mathias Bush.
As the tensions between Britain and the American Colonies increased and finally erupted into war the American Colonial population was split almost into thirds; one third supported the war, one third was neutral and one third was pro British. The small Jewish population of America was also divided – the choice though was very heavily and disproportionaly in favor and support of the American Revolution. Not only did the Jews pledge their fortunes and sacred honor for America but their very lives.
Compromise between Britain and its colonies could not be reached. The British blockaded Boston and sent an occupying army to take the city. The call to arms rang throughout the countryside. Volunteers rushed to defend the city at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1776. The famous order of the American commander during the battle was "do not fire until you see the whites of their (the advancing British Regular's) eyes."
In the front ranks of the smoke and fire of battle was Aaron Solomon standing shoulder to shoulder with his Christian comrades of the Gloucester volunteers. Eight hundred miles to the South the British were stirring up the Cherokee Indians to attack and kill settlers on the South Carolina/Georgia frontiers.
Francis Salvador, a Jew of Sephardic heritage, the first Jew to be elected to a Colonial constituent assembly rode out to carry the alarm and raise the volunteers to repel the impending Indians attacks. He returned at the head of a force of frontiersmen only to be ambushed, shot down and scalped, July 1, 1776. Salvador had the dubious honor of being the first American Jew to give his life for his adopted country.
A few days later in Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was written. A copy was sent to Amsterdam via the small Dutch Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius. The Declaration was intercepted by the British at sea. An accompanying letter with the Declaration of Independence was also intercepted and sent to London as being a secret code about the document that needed to be deciphered - the letter was written in Yiddish.
The war was not going well at first for the young American army. Though facing hard times and even defeat, Jews stood and fought along with their neighbors. Into the terrible dark cold winter at Valley Forge, Abraham Levy and Phillip Russell stood their watch. Joseph Simon from his frontier forge at Lancaster, Pa. supplied the Army with the famous Henry Rifles. Jewish trading merchants, peaceful before the war, outfitted their ships to become privateers and ravage the British at sea. The cost to many was great, the great merchant traders of Newport, Rhode Island saw their fortunes lost.
Men such as Aaron Lopez were bankrupted supporting the Revolution when their ships were lost to the British. In the area of finance the young American government might have foundered too except for the financial genius and personal financial risk and support taken on by Hayim Solomon. Solomon was to die bankrupted by his total support of the American cause. Though small in number the Jews chose to caste their fate with America.
But how did the Jews save the American Revolution? As late as 1781 the war had not been won by the Americans nor was it lost by the British. Arms were being funneled into the Colonies by arms merchants running the British blockade primarily from the tiny free trading Island of Dutch St. Eustatius. Jewish merchants and arms traders were a major presence on the island.
In 1781, the British realized they had to cut off the open door of arms shipments to the rebels through St. Eustatius. Admiral Sir George Rodney was sent to capture the island. His goal was to destroy the supplies and destroy the island's commercial and merchant class so they could not provide any more aide to the rebels. Early in 1781 the lightly defended island fell to the heavy presence of the main British battle fleet. Rodney in his vehemence destroyed the warehouses and the supplies. He burnt every home. He paid particular venomous attention to the Jews of St. Eustatius. The British burnt their homes and the synagogue, Honen Dalim, "She Who is Charitable to the Poor" – built 1739. Jewish property was confiscated and the men imprisoned with particular cruelty. Rodney spent months directing half his fleet to convey much of the stolen treasure back to England.
While Rodney was engaged in St. Eustatius, Lord Cornwallis and his army of British regulars were forced out of the Carolinas and retreated to the small port of Yorktown, Virginia on the James Peninsula. He needed to await critical reprovisioning and fresh reinforcements being brought by the British fleet. The weakened British fleet, with Cornwallis's reinforcements, was intercepted at sea by the French fleet under Admiral DeGrasse and soundly defeated. Degrasse took up positions at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay blockading Yorktown from the Sea.
General George Washington saw his chance. Washington trapped and besieged Cornwallis. In short course Cornwallis surrendered. The war was over. The Americans had won with the help of the French.
But how did the Jews save the American Revolution? If the Jews had not helped turn St. Eustatius into a major arms center for the Revolution and if Admiral Rodney had not spent so much time destroying St. Eustatius and particularly the Jews, the war might have ended differently. There is little doubt that Admiral Rodney's anti-Semitism helped squander his time and played a role in delaying and weakening the British fleet. Ironically it was the Jews of St. Eustatius who helped win the American Revolution.
Jews in Colonial America struggled and won rights that were inconceivable and nonexistent in Europe. Jews struggled for and won the rights to equal economic opportunity, to own land, to go to higher secular education, to serve in the armed militias, to vote and in some colonies to become members of the legislative bodies. In some colonies the struggle was easy, in others it was very hard.
On Oct. 25. 1765, a group of Philadelphia merchants gathered in the State House to sign the non-importation agreement to fight the hated Stamp Tax of the British government. The first man to step forward to sign his name was the president of Mikve Israel Congregation, Philadelphia's only synagogue, Mathias Bush.
As the tensions between Britain and the American Colonies increased and finally erupted into war the American Colonial population was split almost into thirds; one third supported the war, one third was neutral and one third was pro British. The small Jewish population of America was also divided – the choice though was very heavily and disproportionaly in favor and support of the American Revolution. Not only did the Jews pledge their fortunes and sacred honor for America but their very lives.
Compromise between Britain and its colonies could not be reached. The British blockaded Boston and sent an occupying army to take the city. The call to arms rang throughout the countryside. Volunteers rushed to defend the city at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1776. The famous order of the American commander during the battle was "do not fire until you see the whites of their (the advancing British Regular's) eyes."
In the front ranks of the smoke and fire of battle was Aaron Solomon standing shoulder to shoulder with his Christian comrades of the Gloucester volunteers. Eight hundred miles to the South the British were stirring up the Cherokee Indians to attack and kill settlers on the South Carolina/Georgia frontiers.
Francis Salvador, a Jew of Sephardic heritage, the first Jew to be elected to a Colonial constituent assembly rode out to carry the alarm and raise the volunteers to repel the impending Indians attacks. He returned at the head of a force of frontiersmen only to be ambushed, shot down and scalped, July 1, 1776. Salvador had the dubious honor of being the first American Jew to give his life for his adopted country.
A few days later in Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was written. A copy was sent to Amsterdam via the small Dutch Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius. The Declaration was intercepted by the British at sea. An accompanying letter with the Declaration of Independence was also intercepted and sent to London as being a secret code about the document that needed to be deciphered - the letter was written in Yiddish.
The war was not going well at first for the young American army. Though facing hard times and even defeat, Jews stood and fought along with their neighbors. Into the terrible dark cold winter at Valley Forge, Abraham Levy and Phillip Russell stood their watch. Joseph Simon from his frontier forge at Lancaster, Pa. supplied the Army with the famous Henry Rifles. Jewish trading merchants, peaceful before the war, outfitted their ships to become privateers and ravage the British at sea. The cost to many was great, the great merchant traders of Newport, Rhode Island saw their fortunes lost.
Men such as Aaron Lopez were bankrupted supporting the Revolution when their ships were lost to the British. In the area of finance the young American government might have foundered too except for the financial genius and personal financial risk and support taken on by Hayim Solomon. Solomon was to die bankrupted by his total support of the American cause. Though small in number the Jews chose to caste their fate with America.
But how did the Jews save the American Revolution? As late as 1781 the war had not been won by the Americans nor was it lost by the British. Arms were being funneled into the Colonies by arms merchants running the British blockade primarily from the tiny free trading Island of Dutch St. Eustatius. Jewish merchants and arms traders were a major presence on the island.
In 1781, the British realized they had to cut off the open door of arms shipments to the rebels through St. Eustatius. Admiral Sir George Rodney was sent to capture the island. His goal was to destroy the supplies and destroy the island's commercial and merchant class so they could not provide any more aide to the rebels. Early in 1781 the lightly defended island fell to the heavy presence of the main British battle fleet. Rodney in his vehemence destroyed the warehouses and the supplies. He burnt every home. He paid particular venomous attention to the Jews of St. Eustatius. The British burnt their homes and the synagogue, Honen Dalim, "She Who is Charitable to the Poor" – built 1739. Jewish property was confiscated and the men imprisoned with particular cruelty. Rodney spent months directing half his fleet to convey much of the stolen treasure back to England.
While Rodney was engaged in St. Eustatius, Lord Cornwallis and his army of British regulars were forced out of the Carolinas and retreated to the small port of Yorktown, Virginia on the James Peninsula. He needed to await critical reprovisioning and fresh reinforcements being brought by the British fleet. The weakened British fleet, with Cornwallis's reinforcements, was intercepted at sea by the French fleet under Admiral DeGrasse and soundly defeated. Degrasse took up positions at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay blockading Yorktown from the Sea.
General George Washington saw his chance. Washington trapped and besieged Cornwallis. In short course Cornwallis surrendered. The war was over. The Americans had won with the help of the French.
But how did the Jews save the American Revolution? If the Jews had not helped turn St. Eustatius into a major arms center for the Revolution and if Admiral Rodney had not spent so much time destroying St. Eustatius and particularly the Jews, the war might have ended differently. There is little doubt that Admiral Rodney's anti-Semitism helped squander his time and played a role in delaying and weakening the British fleet. Ironically it was the Jews of St. Eustatius who helped win the American Revolution.
April 30, 2018
Third volume of the trilogy
A continuation of the first two books about the plight of Jews in the Colonies and the Carribean islands. A wonderfull insight into life's conditions in that time period. Must be ready in sequence, starting with Hope of Israel, by the same author.
A continuation of the first two books about the plight of Jews in the Colonies and the Carribean islands. A wonderfull insight into life's conditions in that time period. Must be ready in sequence, starting with Hope of Israel, by the same author.
August 2, 2013
Again O’Sullivan does what I love about Historical fiction - I’m folded into a world I know little of and it’s reveal to me. Being a non-American, the finer points of the revolution are buried in my schooling history. But this fine novel opens up a subsection of those events, a people who were fighting for the same thing but perhaps motivated with another set of ideals.
This novel is a fine addition to O’Sullivan two previous novels. It forms a continuation, not so much of a narrative but of the exploration of the themes of how the disenfranchised fought to stabilise their position in the new world. And as such, this new world is by nature multicultural, with elements of Dutch, Jewish, Anglo-American, British and African American thrown into a melting pot.
A great and recommended read.
This novel is a fine addition to O’Sullivan two previous novels. It forms a continuation, not so much of a narrative but of the exploration of the themes of how the disenfranchised fought to stabilise their position in the new world. And as such, this new world is by nature multicultural, with elements of Dutch, Jewish, Anglo-American, British and African American thrown into a melting pot.
A great and recommended read.
September 10, 2016
This book is an interesting history of Jews during the American Revolution and their history in Rhode Island and the Caribbean Islands. I'm glad I read it and found the author's end notes the most interesting part.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews