Black Duck

                                              By Janet Taylor Lisle 

     This is a historical fiction novel set on the East Coast of the United States during prohibition, a time of bootlegging, people trying to make money outside the law by bringing alcohol into the United States.
     One young man is an aspiring reporter he is trying to make a name for himself by looking back into the areas' nefarious past.  He finds articles of a famed rum runner by the name of Black Duck and discovers that one elderly gentleman is still alive and might be willing to share some of his knowledge of the past. ,Ruben is not willing to divulge the whole story right oft the bat, so the interview lasts several days one summer.  Our young reporter, David, is being pressured to work in the family business, but he wants something more with his life and continues to question Ruben about the occurrences leading up to the fateful December 29th, when the Black Duck was attacked by the Coast Guard and most of its crew murdered.
     Ruben begins the story with a tale of finding a dead body on the beach while he and his best friend, Jeddy, were searching for lobster traps.  By the end of the summer, David hears the whole sad story of what happened to the Black Duck, its fearless crew, the coming of the mob, Jeddy and Marina.  What happens when two best friends, Jeddy and Ruben, end up on opposite sides of the law, can their friendship ever survive?
     This is a multifaceted story and a very enjoyable read.  I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.  I enjoyed the characters and felt true empathy for some of the situations they were in and how they resolved their conflicts.  I think that this would be an extraordinary book for both genders and would encourage it for fourth grade through eighth grade.  It definitely left me wanting to know more about the history of the area, the rum rummers and prohibition.

links

The real Black Duck

History of Prohibition

Organized Crime during Prohibition

History of the "Rum War"