Additional information
by Alex Gillespie (Author)
Fifteen-year-old Elias McCrae knows the sound of a blacksmith's hammer better than a musket's shot-but when the war spills into the Appalachian frontier, everything changes. It's 1780, and the Revolutionary War feels far away from the Blue Ridge Mountains-until the British and their Loyalist allies begin torching farms and threatening families. When Elias's older brother joins the Overmountain Men to stand against the British at Kings Mountain, Elias defies his father's wishes and secretly follows.
What begins as an impulsive decision becomes a test of grit, courage, and conviction. Elias joins a ragtag force of frontiersmen, farmers, and teenagers like himself as they march across rivers, ridgelines, and enemy-held territory. Along the way, Elias grapples with the cost of war, the legacy of his brother's death, and what it means to fight for something bigger than himself.
Rooted in historical fact and filled with richly imagined characters, Echoes of Kings Mountain brings to life one of the most decisive but overlooked battles of the American Revolution. Told through the eyes of a teen who witnesses history being forged in fire and fear, this coming-of-age story explores loyalty, loss, and the quiet strength that can grow in even the darkest moments.
Aimed at teen readers but accessible to all lovers of historical fiction, Echoes of Kings Mountain is a moving and meticulously researched novel that echoes long after the final musket is fired.
