THE DOOR OF NO RETURN
by Sarah Mussi
According to his grandfather’s stories, 16-year-old Zac Baxter is the last descendant of King Baktu of the Gold Coast, now Ghana. The king’s son was stolen away by slavers in 1701, and the king struck a deal with the British ambassador: a fortune in gold and land in return for immunity for the Baktu people from capture, deportation and slavery. The deal was recorded in a bond, but the British reneged and became leaders in the slave trade; the bond, still legal and binding, now has the potential to embarrass the British government. And Mr. Baxter claims to know where it is. Zac finds himself a pawn in a game bigger than he and Pops ever expected as he travels to Ghana in search of both gold and the bond. Written by Zac in preparation for trial, the story is an intelligent and well-plotted blend of Treasure Island, King Solomon’s Mines and Roots, deftly incorporating themes of family, friends, history and betrayal. Suspense and important history in one fine novel. (author’s note) (Fiction. 12 & up)