“I tried to block the legend of the blood moon—that it signaled the death of someone close to you—from my mind.”
Harley Wallace has suffered through an incredible run of bad luck. His father died fighting in the Pacific during World War II, and his stepmother abandoned him. The Marines refused to take him, and now he is kicked off a bus in the middle of Nowhere, Florida—where he celebrates his fourteenth birthday as a prisoner in a hick jail. As if that were not bad enough, Harley is placed in the custody of his unwelcoming old grandfather.
As Harley and his grandfather struggle to establish a family relationship and make peace with the demons of the past, the murder of Grandfather Wallace’s cowman and best friend leads them to suspect that an evil connected to the war may have taken root on the old man’s sprawling cattle ranch. With German U-boats lurking in the placid waters of the Gulf, an old friend enlists Grandfather and Harley in a top-secret operation in the hammocks and palmettos of Florida’s Big Bend region.
When Harley’s grandfather mysteriously disappears, Harley and his new friend Beth are thrust into a web of danger that reaches far beyond Florida’s Gulf Coast. Harley and Beth begin a hazardous quest, racing against the clock in a desperate effort to save the old man. Riding into the marshes under the harsh glow of a “blood moon,” they discover peril, new friends, ruthless enemies, and the true meaning of family.
“A first-rate novel for the young reader that is historically accurate, exciting, and wonderfully told. Blood Moon Rider demonstrates how Florida remained one of America’s last frontiers well into the twentieth century. It will be especially welcomed by educators looking to inspire their students in a spectacular format.” — J. Mark Akerman, author of Jacob Summerlin: King of the Crackers (2005 Carlton Tebeau Book Award Winner)
“I found myself emotionally drawn into this World War II story—caring about teenager Harley Wallace as he confronts sadness, family love from an unexpected source, and danger on a Gulf-front ranch. It's terrific!” — Leland Hawes, retired history columnist, The Tampa Tribune
ISBN: 1-56164-350-5
Size: 5.5 x 8.5
136 Pages
| How Many? | Title | Binding | Price | Order? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Moon Rider | Hardback | $13.95 |