Voices in the Fire

A skeleton emerged as we dug for the septic tank. Who was this person? Why had he been wearing an expensive linen shirt, but no shoes? And what about the coin found with the body? By what bizarre circumstance did a copper British half penny – minted in Virginia in 1773, but never issued – find its way to this shallow grave in northern Canada? Follow the odyssey of the Westerby family and slaves from their Southern plantation to a snowy settlement in Nova Scotia. There, they cross paths with exiles from Scotland, tossed off the land by lairds during the Highland Clearances, who themselves have survived the perils of an Atlantic voyage in order to seek a better life in North America. Together, the immigrants face fire, starvation, the ravages of bitter winters – and new relationships that push racial and cultural boundaries. Will the families find peace, happiness, and prosperity in the northern forest, or will tragedy follow them to their graves?This gripping historical mystery by author C.J. Masson spans centuries, countries, and cultural clashes that remain, even today, as volatile as wildfire.