Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com
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Aindreas (Ahn-dray-us) Rivers is a 13 year old Irish/Catholic boy in the Louisville of 1855. He works as a messenger for a furniture manufacturer to help support his impoverished family and help his dying mother. The poor of that time lived a hard life, and being Irish, German, Catholic, or Black usually meant more problems. Aindreas loved to hang around on the waterfront and always seemed to be on the edge of danger.

This is the exciting story of an innocent boy with a generous heart, caught up in the troubles of the times. When the Know-Nothing Party arms thugs to intimidate voters in the upcoming election, violence erupts city-wide, and Aindreas decides the time has come to help the black slave Isaac and his family escape to freedom. McDaniel has done his research; the history is accurate and the book is enhanced with period illustrations. This is the first book of a planned four-book series. The characters are believable and the story is well-plotted, with lots of action and tension. McDaniel makes history come alive and puts you right in the thick of the action. It's a book you don't want to put down. Aindreas the Scribe will be volume two of the series, and scheduled to be published later this summer. It takes place after Aindreas is an adult...I am really looking forward to reading it.