Abuse of Power: the Series Currently there are seven novels in this historical adventure series featuring six Canadian families. The stories tell us why the families came to North America and how they lived out their lives on the edge of an unforgiving sea where they refused to become victims of the harsh climate and cruel enemies. As if that weren't enough, people of wealth or position often wielded their power with an obvious disdain for the welfare of the newcomers. Abuse of power is the theme of these books but we can admire the strength of those newcomers, even the ones who failed, as they contributed to the welfare of their family. It is the family that survives. We begin with the Acadians. Learn more about the series.

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About Bill Dartmouth was a town that lived its history. There were the two "red bridges" painted red and so named to commemorate the 1750 and 1751 massacres. A cannon taken from the French at Louisbourg sat proudly on the main street during the years Bill grew up. Everyone knew about the pieces of the ship that had been blown from the Narrows all the way to Albro Lake during the Halifax Explosion. Forts, navigation lights, Indian relics, beacons, searchlights, hulls of derelict ships and stories - stories about how wonderful it must have been in the early days - but never a mention of the abuses of power that were also very much a part of our history. It's all there, the good and the bad for us to see, if we would take the time to look. The trouble is, time washes it all out to the same dull shade and a great deal is lost in the reading. When someone picks it up and fits it into the framework of an historical novel, it comes alive again. Bill, the little boy who was filled to the brim with the history of his hometown, has done that for you. Read more about Bill Smallwood.