Fifteen-year-old Sarah lives on a little Long Island farm at the outbreak of the War for Independence. Her brother defies his Tory father and leaves to join the patriot army. Soon her father dies for his Tory sentiments. Finding herself a homeless orphan, Sarah goes to the crowded young city of New York. There she finds herself accused by the British of a crime she did not commit. Fleeing for her life, Sarah finds a cave in the wood about 50 miles north of the city. The cave becomes her wilderness refuge. Drawing on strengths and skills she had not known she possessed, she begins to shape a new life.

From the reviews:

"Winner of international honors, O'Dell presents ... a scorching story of a defenseless victim, Sarah, persecuted by the rebels and the redcoats during the American Revolution. ... engrossing story with a vital lesson in the meaning of 'unalienable rights.'"

Publishers Weekly

"Based on fact the story will appeal to readers ... of historical fiction as well as those who enjoy fictionalized biographies."

ALA Booklist

"Living by her wits and her fortitude, [Sarah] sets forth into the wilderness, her only baggage her anger at what has been done to her and a well-founded suspicion that she is safest relying on herself."

The New Yorker

"... this book is a vivid reflection of life in Revolutionary New York ... the story of ... a stout-hearted heroine who, although caught in the conflicts of her own age, might have lived anywhere at any time."

The New York Times

Sarah Bishop's awards:

Tennessee Children's Choice Book Award Nominee. 1980/81
Mark Twain Award Nominee. 1982