GUNS AT QUEBEC

Using a technique that many novelists have employed in dramatizing history, the author follows the adventures of one boy who is caught in the tide of a particular historical moment. In this case, the setting is the Battle of Quebec fought by the English and the French. Steve had been captured by the Indians three years prior to war and subsequently sold to a wealthy French merchant because of his ability to read and figure. Treated abominably, Steve welcomes the chance to join the English in their struggle against a disorganized and corrupt French government. As the English fleet closes in, the government of New France pillages and plunders its own people and flees to Montreal. Steve's job during these days includes infiltrating French lines, participating in battles and scavenging food for a French family he loves. With the siege of Quebec, the English prove their superiority and convince Steve that the citizenry of Canada will fare better under an English flag. One may argue on either side of the issue, for both sides are here presented in shades of gray except for recognizing the outright corruption that existed. Though the historical data is well researched and may be unfamiliar to American students, fictional elements never wholly blend.