Eleven-year-old Mary Kingsley recounts the tumultuous events of December 1813. Her family lived in La Florida, a Spanish territory under siege by Patriots from the United States of America. Patriots wanted to force Spain out of the land it had ruled for nearly three hundred years.
Mary is the youngest child of a former slave, Ana Jai Kingsley. Her father freed Mary and the rest of the family, but the Patriots don’t care. They see no place for freed people of color in a new Florida. They want to make Mary and her family slaves again.
Against these mighty events, Mary decides to search for a legendary pirate treasure with her brother George and her half-brother Diego. This treasure hunt, filled with danger and recklessness, is compelling and unforgettable and it changes Mary Kingsley forever.
The Kingsley family actually existed in this era. Zephaniah Kingsley married the African slave Ana Jai. He freed her and their three children and they lived at a plantation that you can visit today in northeast Florida.
Ages 8–12
“Nothing brings the past to life like historical fiction, and M.C. Finotti has breathed life into Ana Jai Kingsley in a way that finally gives this remarkable woman her due.” —Tricia Booker, Folio Weekly
“M.C. Finotti dishes up a serving of Florida history as sweet and palatable as the coconut-laced ambrosia dessert young Mary Kingsley enjoys every Christmas.” —Diana Tonnessen, Gainesville Magazine
ISBN: 1-56164-416-1
Size: 5.5 x 8.5
104 Pages
| How Many? | Title | Binding | Price | Order? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Treasure of Amelia Island | Hardback | $14.95 |