Moonfleet

"Moonfleet" by John Meade Falkner is a historical adventure novel set in the 1700s, focusing on a young boy named John Trenchard growing up in the mysterious village of Moonfleet. The story kicks off with fifteen-year-old John, living with his stern aunt, as he finds himself drawn into the village's dark history full of smugglers and local legends surrounding the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, and his hidden treasure; the eerie atmosphere thickens as John and Ratsey, a friendly local, contemplate life and death after the recent passing of a young boy from their village, all while rumors of a ghostly Blackbeard surface, hinting at hidden riches and impending danger.