The Trail of the Sword, Volume 1

"The Trail of the Sword, Volume 1" by Gilbert Parker is a historical adventure set in the colonial era of North America during the late 1890s when this book was written, where French and English colonists are struggling for dominance and personal lives intersect with national allegiances. A brave young French envoy, Pierre le Moyne de Iberville, finds himself entangled in a treacherous mission delivering a vital message to the English governor in New York. However his mission becomes much more complex as he falls for Jessica Leveret, the governor's ward, creating a love triangle with a young Englishman named George Gering and drawing danger from a piratical marauder, Edward Bucklaw, who seeks to kidnap Jessica. Iberville faces treachery, romance, and daring escapades while navigating the tension between colonizing powers, capturing the spirit of love and courage amidst political strife.