According to Rinaldi, her historical novels are her favorites, and she has written several, all dealing with the early history of the United States. She credits her interest in this period to her son's fascination with and participation in historical re-enactments. Time Enough for Drums tells the story of a family that survives the War of Independence and the Hessian occupation of Trenton, NJ. The novel is about ordinary people and does not use any famous characters. The same is true of her next work of fiction, The Last Silk Dress, whose heroine is a patriotic young Southern girl who discovers that she is the illegitimate daughter of a Yankee. At this time, Rinaldi is working on an ambitious series of historical novels, the Quilt Trilogy. The story follows three Massachusetts sisters whose lives take them to different parts of the country shortly after the Civil...