That the British had occupied Boston and closed her harbor meant little to Jed Crane, an English boy sold to a cruel Boston smithy. Jed was just happy that his mean taskmaster had been persuaded to sell him to the amiable printer Mr. Box.

Now Jed would get a chance to learn to read and explore the bustling, restless city. But when his new master's mysterious dealings forced Jed to slip through the British lines, the indentured servant was captured by the rebels and brought face-to-face with American patriots engaged in a life-or-death struggle.

Suddenly freedom was no longer a faraway issue. The meeting with the red-haired firebrand of a major would change Jed's life forever. From the first brave shot at Lexington to the fierce battles of Dorchester Heights and Breed's Hill, Jed fought for some hard answers in his own war between liberty and loyalty. What he found in the glorious spirit of the times was courage.