Synopses & Reviews
The
Los Angeles Times called Beverly Swerling's
City of Dreams "a near-perfect historical novel." Now, in
Shadowbrook, set against the backdrop of the famously bloody French and Indian War, Swerling once again tells a gripping, multilayered story of colonial America that will captivate both new readers and admirers of her critically acclaimed earlier novel.
1754. In a low-lying glen in the Ohio Country, where both the French and the English claim dominion, the first musket ball fired signals the start of the savage seven-year conflict destined to dismantle France's overreaching empire and pave the way for the American Revolution. It is here that Swerling introduces a cast of unforgettable characters: Quentin Hale, the fearless gentleman-turned-scout the Indians call Red Bear; Cormac Shea, the part-Irish, part-Indian woodsman with a foot in both worlds, sworn to drive every white man from Canada; and the beautiful Nicole Crane, who, struggling to reconcile her love for Hale and her calling to the convent, becomes a pawn in the British quest for territory.
Quentin and Cormac were raised as brothers on Shadowbrook, a prosperous plantation in the northern wilderness whose fertile land, worked by slaves, sits between Hudson's River and the Adirondack Mountains. Though fiercely devoted to each other, they often find themselves on opposite sides of a fight, but not in this war, or in the struggle to wrest control of Shadowbrook from Quentin's depraved older brother.
From Iroquois longhouses to the elegant rooms of Shadowbrook, from the virgin forests of the frontier to the cobbled streets of Québec, Swerling weaves a tale of passion and intrigue, faith and devotion, courage and betrayal.
Peopled by historical figures including a young George Washington, the fabled Ottawa chief Pontiac, and the legendary generals Wolfe and Montcalm, this richly textured novel vividly captures the conflict that ignited the eighteenth century and presaged our nation's quest for independence. But it is through Swerling's powerfully drawn characters the ordinary men and women living in a world on the brink of astonishing change that this novel comes searingly alive. A classic in the making, Shadowbrook is a page-turning tale of ambition, war, and the transforming power of both love and duty.
Review
"[A] masterful treatment of the hardship, brutality and treachery of America's colonial wars....The complexity of the history involved may daunt some readers, but most will be captivated by Swerling's intricate plot, colorful characters and convincing descriptions of colonial life." Publishers Weekly
Review
"This spellbinding historical adventure highlights an often overlooked episode on the road to American independence." Booklist
Review
"Swerling's second historical novel offers a riveting narrative whose drama is somewhat diluted by the constant switching back and forth of locales and narrators. Highly recommended all the same." Library Journal
Synopsis
From the author of the acclaimed novel City of Dreams, the passionate story of Quentin Hale and Nicole Crane, set against the bloody and turbulent backdrop of the French and Indian War.
1754. In a low-lying glen in Ohio Country, where both the French and English claim dominion, the first musket ball fired signals the start of a savage seven-year conflict destined to dismantle France's overreaching empire and pave the way for the American Revolution. In a world on the brink of astonishing change are Quentin Hale, the fearless gentleman-turned-scout, fighting to preserve his beloved family plantation, Shadowbrook; Cormac Shea, the part-Irish, part-Indian woodsman with a foot in both worlds; and the beautiful Nicole Crane, who, struggling to reconcile her love for Hale and her calling to the convent, becomes a pawn in the British quest for territory. Moving between the longhouses of the Iroquois and Shadowbrook's elegant rooms, the frontier's virgin forests and the cobbled streets of Quebec, Swerling weaves a tale of passion and intrigue, faith and devotion, courage and betrayal. Peopled with a cast of unforgettable characters and historical figures, including a young George Washington, this richly textured novel vividly captures the conflict that opened the eighteenth century and ignited our nation's quest for independence. A classic in the making, Shadowbrook is a page-turning tale of ambition, war, and the transforming power of both love and duty.
Synopsis
The Los Angeles Times called Swerling's City of Dreams "a near-perfect historical novel." With her new book about the years before the American Revolution, Swerling more than makes good on her initial promise, delivering a gripping, multilayered story of passion and intrigue, faith and devotion.
Synopsis
A sweeping tale of love, ambition, and a war that ignited a revolution... 1754. In a low-lying glen in Ohio Country, where both the French and English claim dominion, the first musket ball fired signals the start of a savage seven-year conflict destined to dismantle France's overreaching empire and pave the way for the American Revolution. In a world on the brink of astonishing change are Quentin Hale, the fearless gentleman-turned-scout, fighting to preserve his beloved family plantation, Shadowbrook; Cormac Shea, the part-Irish, part-Indian woodsman with a foot in both worlds; and the beautiful Nicole Crane, who, struggling to reconcile her love for Hale and her calling to the convent, becomes a pawn in the British quest for territory. Moving between the longhouses of the Iroquois and Shadowbrook's elegant rooms, the frontier's virgin forests and the cobbled streets of Québec, Swerling weaves a tale of passion and intrigue, faith and devotion, courage and betrayal. Peopled with a cast of unforgettable characters and historical figures, including a young George Washington, this richly textured novel vividly captures the conflict that opened the eighteenth century and ignited our nation's quest for independence. A classic in the making, Shadowbrook is a page-turning tale of ambition, war, and the transforming power of both love and duty.
Synopsis
A sweeping tale of love, ambition, and a war that ignited a revolution... 1754. In a low-lying glen in Ohio Country, where both the French and English claim dominion, the first musket ball fired signals the start of a savage seven-year conflict destined to dismantle France's overreaching empire and pave the way for the American Revolution. In a world on the brink of astonishing change are Quentin Hale, the fearless gentleman-turned-scout, fighting to preserve his beloved family plantation, Shadowbrook; Cormac Shea, the part-Irish, part-Indian woodsman with a foot in both worlds; and the beautiful Nicole Crane, who, struggling to reconcile her love for Hale and her calling to the convent, becomes a pawn in the British quest for territory. Moving between the longhouses of the Iroquois and Shadowbrook's elegant rooms, the frontier's virgin forests and the cobbled streets of Québec, Swerling weaves a tale of passion and intrigue, faith and devotion, courage and betrayal. Peopled with a cast of unforgettable characters and historical figures, including a young George Washington, this richly textured novel vividly captures the conflict that opened the eighteenth century and ignited our nation's quest for independence. A classic in the making, Shadowbrook is a page-turning tale of ambition, war, and the transforming power of both love and duty.
About the Author
Beverly Swerling is a writer, consultant, and amateur historian. She lives in New York City with her husband.
Table of Contents
Important Characters in the Story
Map
Book 1: Shadowbrook · 1754
Book 2: The World That Came from the Belly of the Fish · 17541756
Book 3: The New World and the Old · 1757
Book 4: Québec · 17581759
Book 5: The Covenant · 17591760
Epilogue: The World of Tears · 17631769
Acknowledgments
Reading Group Guide
Reading guide for Beverly Swerling's SHADOWBROOK
1. SHADOWBROOK is a sweeping epic of the French and Indian War and the way it changed the lives of the American and Canadian colonists, as well as marking the beginning of the end of the traditional life of the Native Americans known as the Eastern Woodland Tribes. How were you brought into the story? Were you surprised that the book began with the Poor Clare nuns and their physical penance? Did you find the practice shocking? Did you see that as in any way connected to the unfolding story of the brutality of war, and the different cultures of the colonials and the Indians?
2. Look at the book's narrative style and the use of interior monologue as narration. What affect does this have on the reader? On the story? Why does a writer employ these devices? How does a love story figure into a book of historical fiction? What affect does Nicole and Quent's relationship have on the story - is it a catalyst or backstory or what? 2. Were you surprised to learn about slavery in the North, and the existence of the patents, in other words, the northern plantations? After the Huron renegades attacked, did you think Quent should have stayed and helped them save Shadowbrook and all that it meant to his family? Was he right to choose instead to go after Solomon the Barrel Maker? Would you have done that?
3. Did you understand the feeling of the Indians about what they called "Bridge People." Do you think the history of Native Americans in our country would have been different if a divide such as the one Quent and Cormac tried to establish had come into being? Would it have worked? Was it fair?
4. The book's main characters are Quent, Cormac and Nicole, all of one generation. In what ways are they like the generation that preceded them, represented by the characters of Ephraim and Lorene? Are John Hale and Hamish Campbell more alike than they are different? What about Père Antoine, the Franciscan, and Louis Roget, the Jesuit?
5. SHADOWBROOK is rich in minor characters and their stories. Did you enjoy Swerling's wide canvas, or find it confusing? Besides a name, how does the author assist the reader with character recognition? Could you "hear" the voices of the different characters and did that make the story more alive for you?
6. Dreams move the story forward because they make the characters do certain things. What are the similarities between Cormac's dream and that of the Mohawk chief, Thoyanoquin? Do you think that Quent really believes in either? If not, why does he do what the dreamers ask of him?
7. Consider the different roles of women in the story. What kinds of lives are available to poor women with or without husbands? What about rich women? Do you see similarities between Lorene Hale's choices and those made by Annie Crotchett? What about Nicole's choices, or those of the abbess, Mère Marie Rose, or Marni's choices? What would you have done if you were any one of them? In the end, who do you think had the most power?
8. History says that it is because Britain won the French and Indian war that the American colonists began thinking about independence. Did this book help you understand that? Try to imagine that you are living in that time, would you have been attracted to the notion of independence?
9. What differences do you see in the way modern Canada developed vs. the United States? Do you think the history related in this story had any role in that?