Lackey’s prequel tells the early story of the main characters of his 10-part historical series.

In 1825, Ben and Sonja Pulaski have just arrived in the port town of Havre de Grace, Maryland. Rather than taking an expected job as a ship’s second mate, Ben gets the opportunity to captain his own cargo boat. He turns this good luck into a steady, well-paying career, taking advantage of demand for reliable transport in the quickly growing area. After the ship’s owner dies, Ben is tricked into signing an unfavorable contract, which he’s unable to read; however, his hard work allows him to prosper anyway. He and Sonja start a family, hire loyal employees, and gather friends around them. Notable characters include the formerly enslaved Simon Bond, widowed seamstress Nancy Perry, and Scottish housekeeper Sallie MacGregor. Benjamin also makes enemies in his hometown, as well as in Baltimore; these people, including sex worker Delilah Grudder whose brother Ben shot dead in self-defense, conspire to destroy him. Ben doesn’t always make the right decision and clearly breaks the law at times, but the Pulaskis also heroically protect the weak and bring a sense of justice to an unjust world; for example, they pay fair wages to all their workers and protect Nancy from domestic violence when the local sheriff won’t. The unpredictability of the times feels authentic, as does the notion of the characters’ being the masters of their own fates. Fans of the Pulaski series will likely enjoy learning the backstories of these characters, and after Lackey has made introductions, he quickly provides tension and conflict. In addition to detailing the family drama, he includes engaging historical elements of 19th century life, including aspects of canal building, cooking, and, of course, cargo shipping.

A well-wrought origin to a historical family saga with forward-thinking heroes.