Description

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In October 1660, Etienne Gayneau rushes through the cobblestone streets of La Rochelle, France, to meet his cousin at the harbor. A ship carrying King Louis XIV's elite musketeers is docking. He dreams of becoming one himself, but has no idea that their arrival will force his Huguenot family to flee in the dead of night. His cousin has offered him a safe haven. Now he must choose - stay and pursue his dream or leave and face an uncertain destiny. Both choices are fraught with dangers. Either way his life will never be the same.

"Cetas skillfully plots Etienne's journey as an uphill climb full of switchbacks, with determination gradually replacing indecision, and a clear-eyed faith supplanting fantastical visions." - BookLife Review

"It would have to be now or never. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped "

This story traces one boy's journey from France to America in 1660 as he finds the courage to save himself and those he loves.Etienne Gayneau's family is fleeing La Rochelle in the dead of night to avoid his father's certain arrest in the morning, but his cousin has offered him a safe haven. Now he must choose. If he leaves with his family, he will never become a musketeer, but if he stays, he will never see his parents and sisters again. Bothe choices are fraught with dangers and uncertainty. One this is sure - his life will never be the same again.Etienne will face many dangers along his journey. Along the way, Etienne will befriend a beautiful Dutch girl with a dangerous father, confront his guilt over the death of his brother, and face off against injury, illness, and death. Will Etienne choose to fulfill his family's expectations, or will he plot the course for his own destiny?