Set against the backdrop of the American Revolutionary War, Alice of Old Vincennes takes us to the remote French settlement of Vincennes in the Indiana territory. It’s a place caught between empires, where loyalty is a complicated and dangerous thing.

The Story

Alice Roussillon is the heart of the story. Orphaned as a child, she was raised by the gruff but kind-hearted frontiersman, Gaspard Roussillon. She grew up tough, resourceful, and fiercely independent in a town constantly threatened by British forces and their Native American allies. When the charismatic American commander, Colonel George Rogers Clark, arrives to rally the town for the American cause, Alice’s life is turned upside down. She finds herself drawn into the conflict, not just as a bystander, but as an active participant.

The plot thickens with a lingering question about Alice’s true parentage. Whispers and old documents suggest she might be someone far more important than a simple settler’s ward. This personal mystery gets tangled up with the fate of Vincennes itself. As Clark prepares for a daring campaign to capture the fort from the British, Alice must navigate betrayal, espionage, and her own complicated feelings, all while the truth about her origins threatens to change everything.

Why You Should Read It

Forget the stuffy, distant heroes of some historical fiction. Alice is a breath of fresh air. Thompson, writing in 1900, created a heroine who feels remarkably modern in her spirit. She’s competent, courageous, and drives much of the action herself. The book shines a light on a part of the Revolutionary War that often gets overlooked—the fierce struggle for the frontier, far from the battlefields of the East Coast. The setting of Vincennes is a character itself, a melting pot of French, Native American, and emerging American cultures where every alliance is fragile.

What really hooked me was the blend of a sweeping historical moment with a very personal, intimate story. It’s about the birth of a nation, but also about one young woman finding out who she is and where she belongs in that new world. The action scenes are thrilling, and the central mystery about Alice’s past adds a layer of suspense that keeps the pages turning.

Final Verdict

This book is a perfect pick for readers who love historical fiction but want something off the beaten path. It’s for anyone who enjoys a strong, unconventional female lead and stories set in the untamed American frontier. If tales of early America, wartime adventure, and secrets from the past sound good to you, then Alice of Old Vincennes is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Just be ready for a few old-fashioned storytelling quirks—it was written over a century ago, after all—but Alice’s journey is more than worth it.