Sara Donati, Queen of Swords

Queen of Swords

Sara Donati

Bantam, November 2006, $27.00

ISBN: 055380149X

A year has passed since the abduction, but by the summer of 1814, Canadian merchant Luke Scott and his Mohawk half-sister Dr. Hannah Bonner mount the successful rescue of his wife Jennet held in the French Antilles. Jennet informs her spouse and sister-in-law that their child was born while she was in interned, but that she got Creole merchant Honor Poiterin to smuggle their Nathaniel out of the Caribbean.

The trio heads to New Orleans to retrieve their offspring and bring him to Montreal to live with them. However, the city is under siege, as the British and American armies prepare for battle. Neither Hannah nor the Scotts realize how deadly the Poiterin clan can be when someone crosses them. Taking the infant is a major affront to the family matriarch, who calls for a family feud and sends her descendants to kill the "kidnappers" and bring home the baby.

Though the ending is expected, readers will appreciate this fine historical tale that provides a deep look at the city on the verge of the Battle of New Orleans, the bloodiest engagement of the War of 1812 (ironically after the peace was signed in Paris). The storyline is driven by personalities from the Scots and their half Mohawk sibling, the Poiterin kin, and city political leaders preparing for the worst. QUEEN OF SWORDS is a fine entry in the Bonner-Scotts early nineteenth century saga.