An exciting novel for tweens that captures the dawn of the American
Revolution.
Life is tough for thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn, an indentured
servant in colonial Virginia. Then in a twist of luck, he meets Basil, a
kind schoolmaster, and an arrangement is struck lending Nathaniel's
labor to a Williamsburg carriage maker. Basil introduces Nathaniel to
music, books, and philosophies that open his mind to new attitudes about
equality.
The year is 1775, and as colonists voice their rage over England's
taxation, Patrick Henry's words "give me liberty, or give me death"
become the sounding call for action. Should Nathaniel and Basil join the
fight? What is the meaning of "liberty" in a country reliant on
indentured servants and slaves? Nathaniel must face the puzzling choices
a dawning nation lays before him.
"Filled with action, well-drawn characters, and a sympathetic
understanding of many points of view." --ALA Booklist