ALA Booklist (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Jenna MacDuff has never wanted to leave Scotland, but when her father and the rest of her clan are hired by the Duke of Keswick to build a garrison, she has no choice but to follow. Quick, educated Jenna has been raised by this small group of men, and she understands that their new lives in England are fraught with danger: the men aren't just freemasons but Jacobites, secretly fighting for the exiled King James Stuart. It's 1714 and Britain is filled with unease; Jenna knows to hide the truth from the duke's son, Alex. Despite mounting family tensions and an impending, unwanted arranged marriage, Alex finds himself drawn to the intelligent, fiery Jenna, who pushes him away for the sake of her family. Sackier (Dear Opl, 2015) balances her historical exploration of a tumultuous period against a plot laden with danger, betrayals, and a touch or two of romance. The Jacobite uprising might not be the most familiar historical event to teens, and this is a thrilling introduction.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

It's 1714 Great Britain, and a rebellion is brewing.James Stuart lives in exile, and George of the German House of Hannover is about to ascend the throne. Jenna's family, Scottish stonemasons, are Jacobites secretly working to return James to the throne in accordance with the divine right of kings. Alex, Lord Pembroke, has a duty to support George I's government as inheritor of his father's seat in the House of Lords. His father, the Duke of Keswick, has hired the masons to build a garrison to imprison and execute Jacobites—but Jenna's family has other plans for the structure: to aid the rebellion. Jenna and Alex inevitably meet and fall in love, but if Alex discovers Jenna's secret, her life, and those of her family, will be forfeit. Third-person narration alternates between Jenna and Alex, but it's Jenna's freethinking that will pull readers in. Her most prized possession is a copy of Newton's Principia; she's been taught to speak the King's English rather than with the broad Scottish accent of her family; and she has the freedom to choose her life's path during a time when women had very few choices. The cast, unsurprisingly, is an all-white one. An intriguing exploration of the intersection of politics, religion, and customs of the period—historical fiction at its best. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Gr 7 Up-enna MacDuff is the only child of the Scottish leader of a group of Freemasons who must flee Scotland for England to hide their support of the exiled King James Stuart. Ironically, Jenna and her makeshift family of Freemasons are hired by the Duke of Keswick to build a garrison to protect his household from themselves and other Jacobites. In addition to building the garrison, the Freemasons have covert plans to use it to their advantage. Jenna has doubts about her family's strategy, especially in light of the feelings she has for the duke's son, Lord Pembroke, and the danger to herself and her family. Though readers are told that the heroine is in danger, they likely won't feel it until the very abrupt end. They will, however, tire of the constant reminder of how unusual it is for a girl, especially one of Jenna's station, to be educated. Though the protagonist is empowered, the character development is heavy-handed. An educated, spunky, yet poor heroine; a brooding, aristocratic hero; and an intriguing and suspenseful setting should make this a worthy romance, but the slow pacing of the beginning and the rapid conclusion leave readers with a very mixed bag. Although the characters are appealing and well drawn, this doesn't redeem the work. VERDICT A romance with great potential that is hurt by a sluggish start and a quick end. A strictly additional purchase.Cindy Wall, Southington Library &; Museum, CT

Voice of Youth Advocates

Set in 1714 England, Sackier’s debut encompasses political intrigue and romance in a strong historical setting. Having lost her mother as a young girl, sixteen-year-old Scottish Jenna MacDuff has always lived with her father’s clan of traveling stonemasons. Secretly, these men also belong to the order of the Freemasons, a guild prescribing to a strong set of morals and virtues. Although education for women during this time period is severely limited, Jenna’s male clan offers her many opportunities to learn beyond the limits of her gender and societal standing. Jenna’s father and his brotherhood are demoralized by the English parliament’s casting aside the rule of James Stuart in favor of a German monarch to reign over England and the surrounding lands. While building a garrison at the estate of the Duke of Keswick to house and execute the opposition, the Freemasons secretly plan to use it for aiding the rebellion. Jenna meets the duke’s son, Alex, in whom she discovers an intellectual equal. They are drawn to one another. Unfortunately, Alex is facing a fractious relationship with his father who is pressuring Alex to take a place in parliament and marry the narcissistic Lady Lucia rather than pursue his true passion, a career in medicine. With the appearance of the mysterious and handsome friend of her father, Daniel Delafuente, Jenna is torn between alliance to family and heritage and her attraction to Lord Alex Pembroke.
Teens looking for a solid historical romance will not be disappointed in The Freemason’s Daughter. Jenna is a smart and feisty young woman facing a moral dilemma. The privilege Jenna has is choice, something few women had during this time period. She will have to choose her own path, and no matter what she chooses, someone’s life will be in danger. This well-written debut will be enjoyed by readers of Renee Ahdieh’s Rose and the Dagger series and A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller (Penguin, 2014).—Adrienne Amborski.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

It's 1714 Great Britain, and a rebellion is brewing.James Stuart lives in exile, and George of the German House of Hannover is about to ascend the throne. Jenna's family, Scottish stonemasons, are Jacobites secretly working to return James to the throne in accordance with the divine right of kings. Alex, Lord Pembroke, has a duty to support George I's government as inheritor of his father's seat in the House of Lords. His father, the Duke of Keswick, has hired the masons to build a garrison to imprison and execute Jacobites—but Jenna's family has other plans for the structure: to aid the rebellion. Jenna and Alex inevitably meet and fall in love, but if Alex discovers Jenna's secret, her life, and those of her family, will be forfeit. Third-person narration alternates between Jenna and Alex, but it's Jenna's freethinking that will pull readers in. Her most prized possession is a copy of Newton's Principia; she's been taught to speak the King's English rather than with the broad Scottish accent of her family; and she has the freedom to choose her life's path during a time when women had very few choices. The cast, unsurprisingly, is an all-white one. An intriguing exploration of the intersection of politics, religion, and customs of the period—historical fiction at its best. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Jenna MacDuff's father and his Scottish Freemason friends support the Jacobite cause. Their secret work takes them to an English estate, where Jenna's unexpected friendship with the duke's son, Alex, puts their mission--and lives--at risk. Narration alternates between Alex and Jenna; she is erudite and headstrong, an appealing heroine. Sackier adeptly combines history, intrigue, and romance into riveting historical fiction. Glos.