It is 1776 and 13-year-old Samuel lives with his parents on the edge of the wilderness in the British colony of Pennsylvania. Returning from hunting in the woods one day, he finds that his home has been attacked and burned by British soldiers and Iroquois Indians. Samuel soon realizes that his parents have been taken captive. Using his forest skills he begins to track them, confronting the horrors of war as he moves through enemy territory. He finds unexpected help from people who are secretly helping the colonists. Can Samuel reunite his family? Gary Paulsen alternates the chapters of Samuel's story with historic notes about the Revolutionary War to create an informative as well as suspenseful read.
