Publisher's Synopsis
Part 1 is set in the American South one year before the civil war. It focuses on three young adult boys at a fictional schoolhouse in Charleston who challenge their racist schoolmaster, a former preacher on a slave ship. Jack is at the center of the revolt against "Master Whittemore" and confronts him directly during a "trial" that the schoolmaster conducts in his one-room schoolhouse. This trial is one of the many humorous parts of the book. Master Whittemore ultimately but reluctantly sees the criticism his students have tried to make in opposing him at every turn, and finally understands that his efforts to sing the praises of the plantation slavery system to children and the "benefits" of secession were wrong. He decides to atone for his "sins" against a whole race of people by returning to the same slave ship - the Helena -on the ruse that he will again preach the necessity of slavery. He does the exact opposite. He tries to incite rebellion in Sunday sermons aboard the ship. Having seen the change in their teacher, Jack and Jeremy sign up for work on the same ship, unaware it is a slaver sailing to Caribbean slave-trading ports. Once they realize the ship's true purpose, they try in vain to stop their teacher from inciting a revolt and are deeply concerned about his intent. In Jamaica they meet two beautiful young black women - America and her friend, Mauricia, - and the four conspire to take the ship to free the slaves that are planned to board in Cuba. The full trilogy - written between 2000-17 - is now available in stand-alone books and as a single volume. In his editorial review, Grady Harp, HALL OF FAME, TOP 100 AMAZON REVIEWER, VINE VOICE, said: "Massachusetts born but world traveler author Gary L. Dorion has a colorful career and outlook on the world. He has been a journalist specializing in court coverage in Boston, has taught English and Global History in New York, an author of three books (wide ranging topics), and now lives in Thailand where he is devoting his attention to Young Adult novels - the JACK Trilogy - of which this is the first installment. Gary's strong interest in history is evident in all of his works - whether about the Holocaust or the African American saga in American history, and it is that depth of knowledge that informs his writing while he entertains us with colorful characters and his magnetically attractive prose style. Gary's novel ... is directed to the young adult (ages 12 - 18) and he knows this audience well, able to speak in their language form to further involve them in the progression of the story ... Adventure peppered with solid humor to make the tale yet more pungent, this first installment is fine reading for adults as well as young adults. A solid start on a worthy project. February 16, 2016, Dr. Grady Harp, Art Historian, and Art and Poetry Reviewer.
