The Sins of Men: Tragic Saga of the Cabin Boy
Can an impoverished boy overcome his humble beginnings, abduction and abuse to participate in a series of pivotal events in world history? In the same manner as John Jake's classic saga, The Bastard, this novel attempts to document the boy's trials and follow his journey in conquering his past. Set during the turbulent period leading up to the American Revolution, the boy must either slay his demons or perish to be lost as another footnote in history. The story will tear at your heart, but will you believe that such a boy can actually make a difference?
My Take:
Peter Beale is a young boy from an impoverished family in England. He steals to help his large family have food to eat, and this lands him in prison, where he is selected and impressed into His Majesty's Navy, to serve as a cabin boy and the HMS Progress under Captain Auger. He is tasked with assisting the cook in preparing meals, swabbing the deck, and personally serving the captain dinner, in his cabin, alone. Some of the crew, and especially the greasy cook, have some idea what the captain does to little cabin boys. Peter manages to escape while the ship is being repaired in Boston, and is adopted by a wealthy merchant. But the demons from what happened on that ship continue to torment him. As he matures and war with England looms, will Peter gain victory over his past, or die in the process?
Drug Content:
PG - There is drinking and drunkenness, but not any more than you might find in a Disney film.
Violence:
PG-13 - Wartime is a bloody mess. Crewmen are hung, and men are shot, bayonetted, and mangled by cannon fire. A character loses a limb in a battle.
Language:
G - Squeaky clean.
Adult Content:
R - Early in this book there is a somewhat graphic description of an act of sodomy with a boy. Many other acts like that occur but occur completely off-screen. If it was not for that first graphical depiction, this would be PG.
Christian content:
This book is not overtly Christian in nature or content. However, faith plays a significant part in multiple characters in the work. A mysterious protector in the jail teaches the bible to the boy. The sister of his adoptive mother uses the bible to teach him to read, and her husband is a pastor. In several instances, there is a call to pray for guidance and protection. Self-sacrifice, courage against overwhelming odds, and faith in God's cause are significant threads in this tapestry of the American Revolution.
Final analysis:
The Sins of Men: Tragic Saga of the Cabin Boy by Danny J. Bradbury is a well-researched historical novel, with gripping action, immersive worldbuilding, and high stakes. It is emotionally charged, and the author put enough into that first scene of sodomy to draw me into the work in hopes the victim would get his revenge. There were issues with tense and pacing in the first half, or I definitely would have given this one five stars, because it was extremely well-written, and by the end of the book I was fully invested and could not put the book down. Four Stars!
About the Author:
Danny J Bradbury is originally from Greeley, Colorado. He has a lifetime love of history and telling stories which he learned from his father. After spending years working in corporate America, he started writing alternate historical fiction novels to share his accumulated knowledge.
He is married and has three grown daughters and two grandsons. He served in the US Navy and now resides in South Carolina.
No comments:
Post a Comment