Saffire

In the tradition of unforgettable historical novels featuring remarkable characters, like Let the Great World Spin and The Daughter's Walk, Brouwer details the events behind one of mankind's greatest engineering achievements, the Panama Canal, and the one unassuming man who made it all happen. Literally days before the outbreak of World War One, the United States completed one of the greatest engineering feats in history--the Panama Canal. The Teddy Roosevelt appointed engineer key to finishing the job, George Washington Goethals, like King Solomon of Israel, had total authority over tens of thousands, and every Sunday held an informal court in his house where anyone could bring their complaints. One Sunday morning, Goethals meets with James Holt, a cowboy from Teddy Roosevelt's famous Roughrider days in the Spanish-American War. The aristocrats of Panama are already tired of heavy-handed American control, and are looking for ways to form an allegiance with Germany. Holt has been sent to help Goethals identify the leaders of the possible rebellion and keep Panama in the hands of the United States. Failing to do so will give the war-hungry Germans the crucial advantage in ocean power. Challenging Holt's methods is T. B. Miskimon, Goethals' rules-focused secretary. Against this romantic backdrop and clashes of social structures--set in the post-Edwardian era of Downton Abbey--Holt faces a choice between justice and love, bedeviled by an elusive woman he can't forget. Yet the most important person to stopping the rebellion is a remarkable and unforgettable ten-year old girl named Saffire, who forces Holt into an even more difficult decision. A love story with a mystery, Saffire is sure to capture the hearts of the readers who first met Sigmund Brouwer through his acclaimed World War Two novel, Thief of Glory.

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