Micah Clarke

In the England of 1685, a young man can set out in search of adventure and find himself committed to a rebellion. Micah Clarke grows up in Havant, where his father, a former Cromwellian cavalryman, brings the force of a battlefield sermon to family life. When the Duke of Monmouth challenges James II, his father sees a sacred cause. Micah must discover what it means to carry that conviction out into the world.

Arthur Conan Doyle gives him company worth travelling with. His friend Reuben Lockarby is an innkeeper’s son, while Decimus Saxon is a soldier of fortune whose astonishing accounts of foreign service invite both admiration and doubt. Rescued from the sea, Saxon settles down to smoke and offers advice on keeping tobacco dry. His composure makes him entertaining company, though it leaves the two young men with plenty to puzzle over. Along the roads of southern England, questions of courage and loyalty come mixed with boasts, bargaining and the practical business of finding a meal.

Micah tells the story to his grandchildren during the winter of 1734, giving this historical adventure the intimacy of a family tale. He remembers the attraction of bright uniforms as clearly as the religious quarrels that divide his village. The older voice has room for affection, humour and questions his younger self could scarcely frame. For readers who enjoy a journey with talkative companions, the novel offers a further tension: how to judge the people beside you when everyone claims to know the righteous path.