Ben Franklin's War
Description
After his "wonderful airship" crashes near St. Francis of Assisi's Home for Foundlings in Quebec City, Ben Franklin is thrown slightly off course in his carefully laid plan to coax Canada into joining the Americans in their fight against England's rule.
A motley crew of orphans hides the famous inventor from the British Redcoats during the American War of Independence. One of these orphans, 16-year-old Michael Flynn, is deaf and was abandoned by his parents, who were convinced that his problem was caused by demons who "seized his tongue and prevented him from speaking." Michael leads his best friends, White Rat and Briony, through the dangerous spy portals of underground Montreal carrying secret messages to ensure Franklin eludes the gallows. When Michael's sign language inspires the great scientist to create a top-secret spy code, Michael and his friends are flung headlong into an adventure they'll never forget.
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Content
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Chapter I I Introduce Myself and Beg Your Indulgence
- Chapter II An Eclipse of the Moon
- Chapter III My Parents
- Chapter IV Dead People
- Chapter V Freedom
- Chapter VI I Meet the Great Scientist
- Chapter VII Ben Franklin Becomes Mr. Richard Saunders
- Chapter VIII We Ride the Airship over the Snow
- Chapter IX Brother Nessus Smells a Rat
- Chapter X We Receive Bad News
- Chapter XI The Dictionary and Lexicon of Home Signs
- Chapter XII Dr. Franklin Electrifies a Turkey to the Amazement of All
- Chapter XIII I Become a Spy
- Chapter XIV Poor Mrs. Fisk
- Chapter XV We Prepare for the Worst
- Chapter XVI Captain Pennington Recites More of His Awful Poetry
- Chapter XVII I Am Overcome by Guilt
- Chapter XVIII We Attempt to Rescue White Dog from the Civil Asylum for Incorrigibles
- Chapter XIX The Brandywine
- Chapter XX A Postscript
- Further Reading
