Abstract:
In 1788 a poor Scottish family crosses the Atlantic Ocean in a leaky ship in search of a better life. The new lands of America offer them a promise. The McKinnon’s dream, to prosper like nobles, withers to the realities of surviving the wild woods of Rockingham, North Carolina.

Birthing at sea; a wounded deck hand plummeting overboard in the midst of a hurricane reveals a grueling shipboard voyage.

The Philadelphia Wagon Road becomes the backbone of their adventurous harrowing travels. They meet up with the true character of the Cherokee Indians, a hungry bear, and a ruthless encounter with the infamous Paxton Boys.