Kristiana Gregory's first My America , book one of Hope's Diary, details life in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. As tensions rise between the Tories and Patriots, Hope's life in Philadelphia becomes more confusing. Will Papa ever return from his voyage? Has he been killed, or worse become a Tory? When Hope's thirteen-year-old brother Ethan proclaims that he too is a Tory, it seems that the family is falling apart. Hope ends her diary sure that Papa and Ethan will return.