The Fryeburg Chronicles: A Secret and A PromiseAfter reading Book I of June O'Donal's Fryeburg Chronicles historical fiction series, I must say that I was quite eager to begin Book Two. In her remarkably well-researched work, O'Donal takes us to a simpler yet still well-established Fryeburg of 220 years ago, a time when the village was still small and when Fryeburg Academy began. Today's Academy hardly resembles the single building that sprang from that vibrant edge-of-the-wilderness community of 1792, and yet the ideals of learning and excellence are as alive today as they were then.People and settings jump from the page and take on a life of their own that magically intertwines with who we are today and how we imagine those who lived long before us. I can envision the sounds of children swimming and fishing in the river and clamoring up the school steps even as the dust from the road floats up into the leaves of the elms and maples along Main Street. I can hear the sounds of the farmyard and the voices of the families moving about their days. I can feel the immense joy and crushing sadness that our forebears often experienced and which were never far from reach.Thank you, June, for bringing our roots to life.Timothy G. ScottDirector of Development Fryeburg AcademyOne man...one secret. Two slaves...two choices. Three brothers...one promise. Should one break man's law to obey God? This is the question the Miller family must answer for themselves in this family-friendly, historical novel.