The hornet's nest - Jimmy Carter

A sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence - the first work of fiction by a President of the United States of America

Following a cast of characters on both sides of the conflict, Jimmy Carter brings to life the Revolutionary War as it was fought in the Deep South.

At the heart of the story is Ethan Pratt, who moves in the company of Quakers from Philadelphia to North Carolina and then to Georgia. On their homestead in Georgia, Ethan and his wife form a friendship with neighbours  Kindred Morris and his wife, Mavis. 

Through Kindred and his young Indian friend Newota, Ethan learns about the frontier and the Native American tribes who are being continually pressed farther inland by settlers. As the eight-year war develops, Ethan and Kindred find themselves in life-and-death combat with opposing forces.

With its moving love story, vivid action and the suspense of a war fought with increasing ferocity and stealth, The Hornet's Nest is historical fiction at its best.