Ethan West and the Mark of the Crimson Viper - Tom Gnagey - Bog

An action/adventure story for 12 to 16-year-olds. Set on the east coast of the United States in 1870, the story follows recently orphaned, 15-year-old Ethan West, who is forced to flee his privileged life in Pennsylvania, when an evil relative wants him out of picture so he can inherit the sizeable West Family fortune. Running for his life, he gets caught up in numerous dangerous and exciting adventures to which he must find solutions if he is to survive. There are highwaymen, river pirates, jewel thieves, evil associates of his would-be assassin, and he still makes time to save a three-masted sailing ship, free an imprisoned black boy and save him from hanging. Ethan remains determined to prevail and, in the end, closes ranks with a most unlikely ally. Along the way, he also comes upon many good and helpful people who influence his life down positive paths. He is forced to come to grips with white privilege, prejudice, good and evil, hate and love, and man's resilience, inner strength, and determination to survive.