TWO SHIPS
James P. Redwood
Set against the backdrop of the Thirty Years’ war, Two Ships immerses readers in the 1600s — a time of rapid change in Europe. With the onset of the Protestant Reformation, the culture has begun to split into factions, Protestant and Catholic. Divisive political and religious lines are drawn. War erupts between invading armies. Neighboring towns fight each other in support of one side or the other. And for the first time, the technology of firearms is put to use on a large scale in battle.
Piotr Nowak’s family is caught up in the maelstrom of violence. Penniless and alone, he finds passage on the St. Longinus — an old but strong wooden sailing vessel bound for the New World.
Meanwhile, Jana Mueller, who has been sent away from the violence to Ireland, starts training as a nun and is assigned to a ship leaving for Quebec City.
‘Two Ships’ is a novel that will take you back in time.
James P. Redwood has written a historical fiction story that is all about how a boy named Piotr Nowak learns about how to survive in many circumstances that are presented to him. This is the story of very early America and Canada and how ship crews of sorts meet and solve dilemmas that are presented to them. There were a few favorite parts of the story that I really enjoyed. One part was actually ‘seeing’ the journey on the ship from Europe and how Piotr lived and learned. I also liked their journey that the crew took into the wilderness of the New World. The sketches at the beginning of each section were just enough to make me want to keep reading. The cover art was well-detailed using dark hues of colors that depict the ocean when it was calm and also showing the rough seas. This would make a good book for a class studying how to write novels or in a discussion type course describing the era and seeing how the past and the present do show that various relationships between all kinds of people no matter the time period.
This is Book one of a new series and I cannot wait to read Book two and as many that could follow for James P. Redwood is definitely a show and tell author.
About the Author of Two Ships
James Redwood grew up in Delaware County, Ohio. He spent the summer days of his youth running through the forest and farm fields surrounding his family home. He has an undergraduate degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in Special Education from Ashland University. His career as a teacher focused on teaching reading and writing to students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. His knowledge in the field of literacy, and a fondness for storytelling, led to an irresistible urge to write Two Ships. The follow-up, One House, is in the works, as is a book of short stories. When he is not writing, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 27 years, Deborah, and their three children. A walk in the woods is still his favorite escape.
2021
ISBN: 978-1-63337-571-0 Proving Press 367 pagesViews: 43