From School Library Journal Grade 5-8-An adventure novel set during the War of 1812. Fifteen-year-old Edward MacNeil， half English， half Oneida Indian， is charged with escorting two American girls， ages 12 and 15， from Fort George to their home in Sandusky， OH. When their ship sinks during a storm on Lake Erie， they make it to an island， where they meet a Native American who is at first reluctant to associate with the three survivors but later befriends them. The war interferes with the journey home several times. Compounding matters are Edward's conflicted feelings; he is torn between his British and Native heritages and his affection for his American friends. With twists at every turn， the plot moves swiftly and keeps readers guessing， but the historical details are somewhat confusing as it is not always clear who is fighting whom and why. This is a minor flaw， however， that does not mar the overall narrative flow. An enjoyable read that takes place during an often-overlooked period in history.Kristen Oravec， Cuyahoga County Public Library， Strongsville， OHCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information， Inc. Book Description Edward turned to follow the others as a cannon exploded. The powder charge was too great. Men fell to the deck screaming， but Edward could not hear them， for the blast had been deafening! It is 1812 and Edward MacNeil_s task is simple: escort Kate and Anne Kimmerling home to America， then travel to his uncle_s cabin to wait out the war. But a vicious storm on Lake Erie leaves Edward and the girls shipwrecked on an island and caught in the midst of the conflict. Half British， half Oneida， Edward_s loyalties are already divided， but his growing affection for an American makes his path even more unclear. As Edward finds his way， he comes to learn that courage， friendship， and love know no bounds. For more of the MacNeils_ adventures， look for the first two books in the Circle of Silver Chronicles， A Circle of Silver and By the Standing Stone See all Editorial Reviews