Books about revolution — national and personal — give us a look today into the years leading up to the American Revolution as well as one young Chinese man’s search for freedom. And on a lighter topic, a much-loved retriever.

“Sparks of the Revolution: James Otis and the Birth of American Democracy”: by Todd Otis (Modern History Press, $21.95)

(Courtesy of Modern History Press)

“…I solemnly say I have never known a man whose love of country was more ardent or sincere, never one who suffered so much, never one whose service for any 10 years of his life were so important and essential to the cause of his country, as those of Mr. Otis from 1760 to 1770.” — quote from President John Adams in “Sparks of the Revolution”

The American Revolution did not begin in 1775 with the battle at Lexington and Concord. The seeds that burst into the formation of a new country were planted as early as 1760 when Boston became the center of patriotic zeal and resistance to what some colonists felt was unfair treatment by the government of British King George III.

It began in 1761 when young firebrand lawyer James  Otis, an indirect relative of the author, went to court in Boston to argue against the Writs of Assistance, general search warrants issued to customs officers by the colonial superior courts that gave permission for representatives of the king to enter any public or private place to search for smugglers. It was a law hated by citizens of the 13 colonies.

Otis, known as “the Patriot,”  is at the heart of this novel, which includes some of the leading founders of the revolution, such as Declaration of Independence signers John Hancock, a rich, good-looking ship owner who wasn’t averse to a little bribery that got goods off his ships without taxes, and brilliant Samuel Adams. They were trying, unsuccessfully, to be loyal to the king while protesting taxation without representation.

The author also writes of the patriot’s private lives. James Otis lost the love of his wife to the cause, since she disagreed with his stand against the crown. But one of his strongest allies was his sister, Mercy Otis Warren, who later wrote the first history of the American Revolution. In the book, Otis is also devoted to a clever barmaid who is not afraid to confront arrogant occupying British soldiers known as Red Coats.

As the narrative moves through the years prior to the start of the Revolution, readers are immersed in the life and times of pre-revolutionary America, with tension between Britain and the colonists that erupted in the Boston Massacre, the bloody 1770 riot in which the occupying British Red Coats killed five people, including Crispus Attucks, a half Native, half African ropemaker who was the first to die for the Revolution.

The big act of resistance was the 1773 Boston Tea Party, in which colonists dumped tons of the popular product into Boston Harbor. Contrary to some myths, this was not a spontaneous act of rebellion; it was a carefully planned protest.

Otis gives his readers the sounds, smells and heat of Boston, with formation of groups such as the Sons of Liberty, as well as dock workers and whalers who came together with the Harvard-educated Revolutionary leaders.

Todd Otis (Courtesy of Modern History Press)

As protests continued through these years, James Otis faded into the background as his mental instability grew worse after being beaten. But Hancock and Adams, as well as others, continued the resistance that became outright war.

Kudos to the author for bringing what could have been dry history to life, even though some of the dialogue between characters reads like speeches. Maybe that’s because we haven’t talked much about coming together for a cause.

That’s why Todd Otis’ chapter titled “Lessons Learned” is so interesting. In it he contrasts the ideas of the Revolution with 21st-century thinking, such as: “If you treat me like an enemy long enough, I will become your enemy,” and “On the Purpose of Government.”  Perfect questions for an intense book club discussion.

Todd Otis is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and an advocate for environmental causes and improving the early care and education of the state’s younger children.

“Moving Mountains”: by Brian Chang (Iron Man Press. $26.99 paperback)

“Moving Mountains” by Brian Chang. (Courtesy photo)

When I was a child, I was given Mao’s “Little Red Book” full of sayings and rules of the Communist Party. Leaving China in November, 1984, I had a different little red book, a passport, granting me freedom to live a new life. — From “Moving Mountains”

This memoir, written in the last year of Brian Chang’s life, is published by his wife, Rene, after her husband’s death in 2023 at their home in Prior Lake.

Chang grew up so poor in a Chinese village that his mother sometimes went without food so her children could eat. She patched Chang’s clothes over and over and made his shoes by layering and gluing quilt scraps. The villagers knew nothing about the outside world but young Chang knew there was a better life.

After graduating from high school, a rare feat in poor regions of China, Chang was sent to the countryside under Mao’s indoctrination program. The farm work was backbreaking, but Chang always had his eyes on furthering his education. With some luck and unending study, he was accepted into college, becoming a member of the class of 1977, a talented group that moved into significant positions in China and the West.

Chan graduated from the University of Minnesota, became a citizen and worked in securing business partnerships between the U.S. and China, including Cargill and Minneapolis-based RSP Architects, which built a Radisson Hotel in Tianjin with the help of Chang’s language skills.

One of the interesting parts of Chang’s book is his first encounters with life in the U.S., including his amazement at so many offerings in supermarkets, his accidental visit to a gay bar, and the inclusion of fortune cookies in Chinese restaurant meals, unheard of in his native country.

Among the Minnesotans Chang thanks are two sets of surrogate parents: Andre and Melanie Gillet, and Roland and Rachel Fischer, as well as “Grandma” Mary Quillan, who opened her home to the young man.

Those who don’t remember Chairman Mao, who died in 1976, will be amazed at the cruelty of a political system that assigned people their status early in life with the expectation that that is where they were to stay. Brian Chang beat the system with his hope for the future, his thirst for knowledge, his ability to thrive in businesses, and his affable personality that shows in his writing.

“The Love Of a Dog”: by Jo Prouty (independently published, $9.99)

“The Love of a Dog” by Jo Prouty. (Courtesy photo)

Subtitled  “A Chronicle of a Remarkable Retriever,” this slender memoir of a beloved pet will resonate with everyone who has loved a dog. “Tasha seemed to read our minds, possessed an intelligent sense of humor and taught us much about selflessness,” Prouty writes in her debut book. Tasha was adopted from the Animal Humane Society when the author, her husband and son went looking for a dog without any idea of what they were looking for. Tasha “forced her nose out through the opening” of the cage and she adopted the Proutys. During the years with Tasha the family learned of her deep sense of loyalty, her delight in meeting other people and dogs during hikes, and her uncanny ability to know when someone was coming home 10 minutes before the car pulled up. This gentle story will bring memories for those whose dog companions have crossed the Rainbow Bridge or remind readers to give extra hugs to those still with us.

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