Or Give Me Death

This article is about the novel. For the album by Aqueduct, see Or Give Me Death (album).

Or Give Me Death (ISBN 0-15-216687-4) is a 2003 work of historical fiction by Ann Rinaldi about the possibility that the famous words of Patrick Henry "Give me Liberty or Give me death" may in fact have been spoken first by his dying, mentally ill wife, whom he kept locked up in a cellar to keep her from hurting anyone. The story is told through the eyes of his daughter, Anne Henry. Also is told by his other Daughter Patsy Henry. Patrick Henry travels the American colonies, advocating.

As the mother of a large family and wife of Patrick Henry succumbs to a genetic mental disorder, she is removed to a cellar prison in her own house, where she shows the power to predict future outcomes. Her family is left to cope with her absence, even as they are threatened to be torn apart by the knowledge of the next child who inherits their mother's disease.

Sources

• www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Death-Patrick-Henrys/dp/0152166874 - 275k -
• www.alibris.com
• ALA Review- findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4063/is_200310/ai_n9253919 - 41k -
• www.powells.com/biblio/1-0152050760-0 - 28k -