Founding a Nation

In this, a historically accurate fictional account of the Texas Revolution, disparate settlers are inadvertently drawn into the Texas Revolution. Scotsman Hank MacElrae has brought his wife Julie and son Auggey to Texas to build a better life, whereas Bostonian Hawk Banks has carelessly joined the Texas Rangers under the erroneous impression that fighting Indians promises to be adventurous. Nate Tucker comes looking for work from Kentucky, whence he befriends the enigmatic horned toad named Mephistopheles. Francisco de la Garza is still in his teens when General Santa Anna sweeps into his village of Zacatecas and conscripts him into the Mexican Army that is headed for Texas. Little do these settlers know that they are about to be swept into a revolution, one that will become the defining event not only in their lives, but also in the history of Texas. At the outset of hostilities Hank leaves Julie and Auggey behind and joins the Revolutionary Army of Texas, whereupon he is introduced to the enigmatic Hawk Banks, who is never boring, ever brilliant, and winning in the end. The friendship that develops between Hank and Hawk is intricate, highly unorthodox, at times hilarious, and ultimately pivotal to the outcome of the Revolution. The harsh realities of life eventually affect one and all, as they are beset by revolutionary battles, run-ins with the infamous Comanche Buffalo Hump, and encounters with death and destruction on the plains of Texas. As the story rushes to the climactic conclusion, an intricate series of events bring the main characters together at the pivotal conflict of the Texas Revolution – the Battle of San Jacinto. In the end, each one playing a seminal role in the birth of a nation, they will emerge as revolutionary legends.