JEFFERY J. MCKENNA

The year is 2001. Steve O’Dell is just an ordinary American boy, living in the aftermath of the great tragedy that struck on September 11. Joseph Warren is a forgotten Founding Father, who lived over 200 years prior to Steve’s existence. Steve enters an essay contest about patriotism and finds himself winning first place. Steve is not a patriot, he is just the winner of an essay contest that just happened to be about Patriotism. Steve is not a hero, he is just a normal boy getting too much credit for what he has done. Dr. Warren, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He is a true patriot but gets little to no credit in Steve’s time. This man died for the independence of his country, yet he was forgotten. When Steve goes back in time and winds up in the revolutionary war era, he finds himself as Dr. Warren’s apprentice. There, Steve learns the true meaning of patriotism.

Saving Dr. Warren… “A True Patriot” is a fast-paced, beautiful story that shows the seeds planted on American soil. It is a tale of one of the most important leaders of the American revolution, whom we as a society have chosen to leave in the dark. In life, there are two types of people: the ones who work hard and get no credit, and those who do absolutely nothing and achieve so much more. This self-published book is a perfect example of Steve’s journey to go from the second person to the first. Saving Dr. Warren is a page-turner that teaches readers the importance of sacrifice. It was a good mixture from a teen coming of age, and a historical work. Reading Dr. Warren gave me a newfound love of historical fiction, and helped me to be a little more patriotic myself. Overall, this is a very “Goodread”, and I would definitely recommend this book!

Saving Dr. Warren… a True Patriot by Jeffrey McKenna is a great read for young historians who would love to know more about our nation's forgotten heroes. Based on Dr. Joseph Warren’s real life story. We follow Steve O'Dell, a boy from 2002 Boston, and his adventures with Dr. Warren 225 years prior. A great historical fiction is hard to write, but McKenna really hit perfection with this. 

Saving Dr. Warren… a True Patriot was written and published by Jeffrey Mckenna. It is his debut novel as well as his only available book at the moment. You can find it on his website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other sites or bookstores. He brings a love of historical fiction to the table, and you can see it. The depiction of Revolutionary America makes you feel like you really in the moment. You feel all the emotions of the characters with every word. You get a true feeling of patriotism as the story progresses. With every twist and turn he has you reading more. There’s something special about your connection with the characters. So let’s learn a little more about them.

Steve O’Dell is only interested in winning a $500 essay contest not understanding the true meaning of patriotism. The essay got him into a lot more trouble than he bargained for. He isn’t a true patriot he’s a fraud. Because of this essay a pile of papers and a musket ball fall into Steve's hands. This musket ball has incredible powers, taking you back in time. Every trip brings Steve to another adventure with Dr. Warren. Every adventure helps him answer a question. What is true patriotism? It definitely isn’t writing an essay to pull at the heartstrings of the judges for $500. Every close call and call to arms he learns more about something he never really prioritized. 

A great read that really touched me in its humanity and loss. Saving Dr. Warren is enjoyable for readers of all ages. I would recommend this book to anybody who’s struggling to find a good historical fiction. It has all the elements of a great fiction, while holding true to the facts of life in that period. All in all it is a 10/10 read.

Why SDWATP is the greatest historical fiction book of all time.

​

**SPOILER ALERT**

Saving Dr.Warren… a True Patriot by Jeffery Mckenna was a book based on quirky 8th grader Steve O'Dell, who got caught up in a time traveling society after winning an essay contest on patriotism. He time traveled to the American Revolution and met forgotten hero Dr. Joseph Warren. The young child faces fear, victory, and regret throughout the book. Jeffery Mckenna did a fantastic job of making the text relatable by putting in the character Grace. Grace was Steve’s crush who cared about him deeply who yes helped Steve on his time traveling journey, but more importantly helped show how awkward middle school crushes can be. 

"While writing this book my main focus was to entertain young readers while helping educators share America's history in a way that impacts their students and helps History come alive" (Mckenna). And Jefferey Mckenna did just that, he gave the experience of what it is like to time travel, but also educated me on the American Revolution at the same time. Mckenna did a wonderful job of not just bringing forgotten hero Dr.Warren to light, but showing us what future generations are capable of doing. From his english teachers class to the Boston Massacre this book was a wonderful and wild ride. For the price of 18.99 you can immerse yourself in the 1700s. Jefferey Mckenna is a very charitable person and has partnered with a non profit organization called Help Patriotism Prevail giving schools class sets for free. In the end I rate this book a wonderful 10/10.