The telegraph brought the news. First, General Lee's surrender followed by the shock of the Lincoln assassination and the last gasps of rebellion. But even as the American guns fell silent new danger emerged and in the British colonies of Canada, the fear and apprehension remained. Was the massive Union army poised for a drive north? Did John Wilkes Booth plan his kidnap/murder plot while in Montreal? Would southern refugees produce more unrest in the provinces? And what of the drive for a new Canadian Confederation? To Build a Northern Nation continues the story begun in A Porous Border (also available through Amazon and Kindle) and traces events on both sides of the border. Owen Wilson, a Union army veteran drifts into the Irish Fenian movement; Sillery Fraser is a former slave with a dangerous secret; and Paul Forsey, a government clerk, can see the threats facing a new country. Canadian leaders must again wrestle with issues beyond their control while America struggles to rebuild a divided union. To Build a Northern Nation is inspired by actual events.