Book description
In 1755, on the eve of the Seven Years' War, fifteen-year-old Nola
and her Acadian parents face expulsion from Grand Pry the British.
Nola, her friends Hector and Jocelyne, Nola's grandfather, and a band
of bold teenagers manage to flee by boat only to encounter challenges
tougher than their wildest imaginings. Their destination is
French-occupied Fort Louisbourg, but along the way hostile soldiers, a
harsh environment, enigmatic Mi'kmaq, and superpowers at war turn
their journey into a series of hair-raising adventures.
As it turns out, the runaways' route to freedom may be rudimentary
technology. Using raw gypsum, limestone, coal, and salt, they forge
coal-oil fire bombs that keep their attackers at bay for a short time
but not long enough to ensure their survival.
Will the resourceful teenagers finally discover what it takes to
prevail in a continent poised on the edge of irrevocable change?
John Skelton, a chemistry and economics graduate, worked for many
years in the federal government fostering innovation in Canadian small
businesses. The founding editor of Industry Canada's award winning
Small Business Quarterly, he is currently an educator with
the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa.
