Rules of Rebellion

“People fight, Maria. It is what people do,” he said.

“No, Christian. MEN fight. It is what MEN do,” she said…

The Mohawk Valley, 1757: Amidst the fiery chaos of the French and Indian War, two young women are on the run, fleeing from a brutal massacre with only their wits and a flintlock musket between them and the enemy. Maria, a resourceful young midwife, struggles to bring a new life into a world of bloody conflict. Faced with an impossible choice, should she run and hide, or stay and fight?

By 1776 the fires of revolution are burning, but for real-life heroes Christian and Maria Schell, the fight is not just for independence—it is for survival and the enduring power of love.

In the fertile, contested borderlands of New York’s Mohawk Valley, the Schell family has carved out a life of peace and plenty. But the shifting loyalties of their neighbors—pitting Patriot against Tory—threaten to shatter everything they hold dear. As British Loyalists and fearsome Native American war parties sweep through the valley, the Schells find themselves caught in the brutal crossfire, forced to defend their home, their children, and their deep-seated way of life with grit and defiance.

When a crucial British invasion looms, one hero is pushed to the limits of endurance for the future of the frontier. Meanwhile, as the forces of war close in, the strong Schell women and men stand firm in a climactic defense of their fortified blockhouse at Schells Bush, proving that courage wears many faces. Amid the chaos, our heroes risk it all to help an enslaved woman in her own struggle for freedom.

Rules of Rebellion is a gripping historical epic spanning the French and Indian War and the American Revolution that explores the courage of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Richly-layered characters bring riveting scenes of war and conflict to life in this true story of enduring family bonds, fierce patriotism, and the spark of romance that sustains hope even in the darkest days of revolution. For readers who love strong female heroes and history, this is a tale of a home and a country worth fighting for.

Based on a true story. Includes illustrated story maps.

Maria Schell Burden has long embraced her identity as a self-proclaimed history nerd. After publishing two historical biographies and two children's books, she now turns her storytelling passion toward historical fiction with her debut novel. She lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounded by the warmth and lively stories of her multi-generational family. Her love of the past, paired with the rich landscape she calls home, continues to inspire every tale she tells.