An adventurous slice of waterfront life where mystery surrounds history. A sweet story with likeable characters. If you're looking for a pleasant read about a single mom and her son discovering the charm of a small town, mixed with bits of history, romance and adventure, this one's for you! Gahan uses vivid descriptions of the details of boating, fishing and aquatic life, as well as the physical and psychological makeup of this fictional bayside community. Relationships combine with places to play a part in James' life story. James' character is forged by events and his adventures in Harmony Bay. From harrowing life and death experiences on the water to forays into the surrounding hills, each day dawns with a new lesson about life. The boy encounters many wonderful individuals in his new home town. Among them are a magnificent Newfoundland retriever dog named Angus--and Chloe, a beautiful white mare. Angus' master Billy is a kindly closet intellectual and philosophizer who is a physically powerful man strong enough to split firewood with a single blow of his ancient axe. His snowy white beard and recluse nature causes speculation about his identity. Marine biologist Jake Kane is the local hero who sweeps Dory off her feet, adding an element of romance to the story. James learns a great deal from Jake and the dozens of other colorful inhabitants of this amazing waterfront community. Harmony Bay, written for a wide audience that appeals to many levels, examines a slice of small-town life. A modern day mystery, drawn from covert events of the American Revolution, weaves through the story. Ten-year-old James McDonough moves from the crime and violence of the inner-city to a New Englandish East Coast town, Harmony Bay. His widowed mother, Dory, has taken a position as a librarian in this small town. Its economy is driven by the whims of nature, nor'easters boiling down the coast, hurricanes lurking off shore, and the barometric rise and fall of shellfish prices.