Distant Thunder

Distant Thunder is the sequel to The Christmas Surprise. Ruth Nulton Moore continues the story of the Moravians in Bethlehem, twenty years later.

The book begins in the midst of the Revolutionary War. The main character, Kate (daughter of the Kate in The Christmas Surprise) like all the Moravians, longs for peace. But war comes to their town when the army takes's the Moravian's big stone buildings to use for a prison and hospital.

While the story of an escaped Hessian is fictional, Moore weaves in many historical characters. Each chapter begins with a brief excerpt from a Moravian diary or hymn. The reader learns of Lafayette, the Liberty Bell, and the British occupation of Philadelphia.

Distant Thunder is a painless way to learn some Revolutionary War history for an elementary child.