SYNOPSIS:

Returning home on a crisp autumn day in Civil War era Missouri from a deer hunt that could help them survive the coming winter, thirteen-year-old Luke and his father find that their modest homestead is being ransacked by a roving gang of thugs led by the brutal Digger Dean. Hopelessly outnumbered, Luke and his parents put up a fight, but only Luke survives, wounding and disfiguring Digger Dean in the process. With no place else to go, Luke is placed in The Liberty Boys’ Home. On the surface it appears to be a church-led orphanage, but it turns out to be little more than a slave camp. There Luke makes some friends: the enigmatic Marco, an Osage Indian passing for Italian; tough escaped slave Hector; and overweight bespectacled Orville, whose modest exterior hides a warrior within. Meanwhile, Digger Dean and his gang set their sights on the small town of Excelsior. With all the men off fighting the war, Excelsior falls prey to Digger, who intends to bleed the place dry. Luke and his friends stage a daring escape from The Liberty Boys’ Home. Just when they’re home free, they realize that a fire has started in the bunkhouse, and that the littlest kids, who were not part of the escape plan, are in danger. The boys return to rescue the little ones, and then head back out on the road. What was supposed to be a small group of pre-teens, is now a large motley crew ranging in age from four to thirteen. Wandering the war-torn countryside, Luke and the boys encounter Excelsior. Learning of the town’s plight, the boys decide to stay there and help the town defend themselves against Digger Dean. On Digger’s next visit, the boys with their various skills, and the lonely women of Excelsior gel into a team, forcing the gang to retreat to their camp on the bluffs overlooking Excelsior. But when the boys foolishly decide to press the attack, Dean takes advantage of their absence from the town to occupy Excelsior. Using all their combined skills and ingenuity, the boys counter-attack, decisively defeating the gang. The war ends, the men come home, and reborn Excelsior takes the liberty boys into their family. This adventurous, heartwarming, sometimes scary and frequently funny story is appropriate for the whole family.