Excellent book! Set in Boston in 1766, this is a historical fiction novel about a young man, Nicholas Gray, trying to make a go of it in America. Gray has been knocked around in his early life, and finds himself as a bartender in a simple saloon in pre-revolutionary Boston. His adventures follow the beginning of the American Revolution. Woods does a great job of weaving the central characters of the time into the story, and introduces the reader into parts of our history that were not taught in school. His character development is outstanding! Regarding the main subject, Mr. Gray, I found myself at times feeling sorry for him, or admiring him, or disappointed in him, or wanting to wring his neck. But at no time did he bore me. The other characters, the famous and the "common folk" were interesting as well.
This is the first of a series of books that Woods is writing about the American Revolution. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the next installment. If you are at all interested in American history, I believe that you will love this book!