The Harbor Master

"The Harbor Master" by Theodore Goodridge Roberts is an early 20th-century story based in the coastal village of Chance Along, and tells of young Black Dennis Nolan, who wants to change his poor fishing community into a band of heartless wreckers. Following his father's death, Nolan uses his cunning and a small schooner to make his dreams of wealth come true. He faces drama with villagers, most notably from Foxey Jack Quinn. When a storm causes a shipwreck, Nolan's destructive scheme begins. Nolan's plans put him at odds with his own people, as well as with the defenseless shipwreck victims affected by his choices.