A Hard Beginning

Scotland, 1740. Sixteen-year-old Aaron McNeil escapes a murderous brother by feeling across the Atlantic Ocean. When he steps onto the docks of Norfolk, Virginia, he has no family, no friends, and only one skill: brewing whiskey.
Life in the colonies is brutal. Forests must be cleared by hand. Food must be grown or hunted. Trust must be earned. And sometimes men must fight to keep what is theirs. But Aaron finds unlikely allies -- a seasoned tavern keeper and a Nottoway leader who teaches him how to survive in the mountains.
As he builds a homestead and a family, Aaron discovers that claiming a place in this new world requires more than strength. It requires heart, loyalty, and the courage to stand agains whatever -- or whoever -- comes next.