FIRE ALONG THE SKY

by Robert Moss ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 20, 1992

A handsome young Irishman with theatrical leanings abandons the delights of George III's London to follow a melancholic friend to the Colonies, where he visits a kinsman and the restless Mohawks in upstate New York. Moss usually writes thrillers (Carnival of Spies; Mexico Way, p. 678, etc.), but he is welcome to write amusing, picaresque, period adventures anytime he wants. Bastard child of a rich Anglo-Irish mother and stepson of the real Celtic thing, Shane Hardacre has taken his formidable charms to England, where he plans to become a playwright when he is not busy pursuing pretty actresses. On a night out at White's with the husband of his current mistress, Shane meets a moody young baronet whose fascination with the dreamworld draws him to the mystic Indians of the New World. Shane, whose plays have not taken off, accompanies the baronet to Colonial New York, where Shane's cousin Sir William Johnson manages His Majesty's Indian affairs. Sir William has not exactly gone native, but he has come to understand and subsequently respect the resident Mohawks far more than the average Englishman. Shane's baronet friend sinks deeper and deeper into the spiritual world of the natives and eventually becomes lost in it. The more earthbound Shane joins his cousin's Indian administration and sets off for years of adventure at the edge of civilization in the wilds of Detroit and in the future suburbs of St. Louis. He nearly dies at the hands of the original Pontiac and engages in healthful activities with young ladies of both New and Old World tribes. There is not a single stuffy moment in this splendidly researched and wildly amusing historical adventure. Tom Jones as The Deerslayer.

Pub Date: Feb. 20, 1992

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 352

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1991

Categories: FICTION