It’s autumn, 1765. Parliament wants to assert its power over the colonies and pressures an irascible royal governor to improve the revenue collections in New York. From Manhattan to Albany, the citizens begin choosing between obedience and resistance. Molly and Jean-Luc struggle through the salad days of marriage as they contend with the empire’s taxes, established competitors, and people on both sides who want the up-and-comers dead. Samuel Endicott has written another gripping story that brings colonial New York to life.
Molly Lake (1745 – 1810) was born in colonial New York. She grew up on her parents’ farm near Schenectady in the Mohawk River Valley. For thirteen years she was an only child to tenant farmers, Peter and Marie Lake, and is close to her parents. Peter and Marie eloped at sixteen (Marie’s parents disapproved of Peter not being Acadian as they were). Marie taught Molly and Peter to speak French fluently. Molly is attractive, auburn haired, and something of a tomboy. She stands 5 foot 5 inches. Until her marriage in 1761, she helped with her parents’ farm that is situated on Johannes Van Rensselaer’s patroonship which spanned much of central-eastern New York.
In The Molly Lake Chronicles Molly learns quickly that when her goals align with her supervisor’s goal(s), she will receive mentoring. When she does acts of heroism, her motives will be straightforward to the reader and they will find her actions credible. Molly’s motivation is mostly love, for example, love of a family member or love of a shipmate or boyfriend. When their lives are threatened, Molly acts.
“Samuel Endicott clearly knows his history… Scenes of battle abound in such a way that history books just can’t convey.” Bookreview.com’s Heather Froeschl
“A novel that is an entertaining and educational. Endicott’s novels have something for everyone.” Armchair Interviews
“Unbiased view of historical events that are filled with action, human interaction and history.”
Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews