
audiobook
A tense autumn morning finds a small American party setting sail from Detroit toward Buffalo, escorted by the newly promoted commander Gerald. He is torn between his sense of duty and a lingering personal disappointment, while his brother Henry watches anxiously, hoping the journey will end an ill‑advised attachment to the enigmatic Miss Montgomerie. Their strained relationship and the looming specter of war create a charged atmosphere aboard the modest schooner, where every glance hints at unspoken motives.
The vessel’s uneasy calm is shattered when the notorious deserter Desborough is brought aboard, his reputation for cunning and ferocity preceding him. Bound for Fort Erie under guard, his presence threatens to ignite old grudges and fresh conspiracies among the passengers and crew. As the schooner cuts through the lake’s chill waters, the brothers must navigate both external peril and the tangled emotions that could dictate their fates long before the next battle begins.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (425K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-02-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1796–1852
A soldier, journalist, and pioneering Canadian novelist, he is best remembered for helping shape early Canadian historical fiction. His adventurous life fed directly into tales of frontier conflict, identity, and empire.
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