Overview
If you look outside the box of ordinary fiction, you will find the story of Saratoga, an adventurous and inquisitive girl growing into a woman in the fictional town of Lafayette, NH. This unique contemporary tale is tinged with romance and has a sprinkling of humor throughout.
Sara's full name is Saratoga Concord Parmenter. Her parents named her after two of the most important battles in the American Revolution, and have instilled in her the importance of the founding principles of America. Her friends call her Sara most of the time, but she is also known as Miss Einstein. One of her favorite expressions is "Well, if you think about it."
Sara likes to think and inquire about many things. One thing that bothers her a lot is the fact that women in general do not get historical credit for things they have done in far too many fields. And although she loves her country, she is annoyed that the Declaration of Independence states that "All men are created equal." As Sara reminds her father in Chapter Four "And as I've said many times before, it should be 'all people are created equal', not just men."
This story is very entertaining, but it also delves into some of the serious issues facing us today. These are interwoven into various parts of the story in an interesting yet relatively brief way. To keep things on the light side, there is an occasional romantic twist, and the story is also sprinkled with a lively sense of humor, especially between Sara and her father.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940163913909 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Brian Macdonald |
| Publication date: | 01/28/2020 |
| Sold by: | Draft2Digital |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 285 KB |
About the Author
I am an avid reader who, until relatively recently, had never thought about writing a book. I have always been able to write well, from grade school through my Paralegal Studies courses in college. My first published piece was a brief history of the town of Groton, Massachusetts that was published in the local paper, The Public Spirit. Then, a few years ago, I decided to try to supplement my income by writing.
My first book is a children’s picture book. “Bob Hikes Mount Monadnock” is a story about a boys love of adventure and nature. My wife Brenda did an awesome job on the illustrations for the book. Thirty-two of them, all done free hand.
My second book is a novel. “Saratoga” is the story of an adventurous and inquisitive teenage girl growing into a woman in the fictional town of Lafayette, New Hampshire. I had been frustrated by events throughout the world, but rather than letting that overwhelm me, I decided to try to write a book that would hopefully encourage people to work together for the common good of all humanity and Mother nature as well. And Brenda did an awesome job with the illustrations for the book’s dust jacket.
I truly believe that God guided me while I was writing this book. Although I knew that I had several contemporary subjects that I wanted to weave into the book, I had no idea how or where to begin. But when I sat down and started typing, it all just fell into place. Ideas, conversations and snippets of humor just came to my mind as I was typing. It was an amazing experience and leads me to believe that God was guiding me all the way through.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Toga, Toga
The story begins with Sara trying to determine how to tell her parents about the fight she was in with a bully (named Erik) who had tormented her about her name one too many times. After getting caught bullying someone else in school, Erik has to write an essay on bullying. He learns his lesson and makes peace with Sara.
Chapter 2 Sara's Baja
Sara gets a taste of potential romance when her friend Mike impulsively kisses the back of her hand after helping her check out a car for sale.
Chapter 3 The Birdbath
After building a birdbath for her back yard, Sara invites her friend Naomi over to see her new "pool", and puts on a bikini to completely fool her friend when she arrives.
Chapter 4 Camping
While on their annual family camping trip, Sara plays Roger Goodell to her father's Tom Brady while "judging" the horseshoe match between her parents at the campground.
Chapter 5 Pastor Stanley
At the church social after the service, Sara and Pastor Stanly discuss how the love of money is the root of much evil in the world.
Chapter 6 Samantha
When her friend Samantha becomes pregnant, Sara is determined to help her resolve things. Although personally opposed to abortion, Sara presents and explains all of the options available to Samantha.
Chapter 7 The Battle for the Bell
Lafayette High School is playing against Wilmington High School in the Battle for the Bell, their annual football game.
Chapter 8 Mount Monadnock
Sara climbs Mount Monadnock with her friend Bob. She enjoys the hike very much and feels a romantic tug towards Bob, but then thinks what about Mike?
Chapter 9 The Wolf Whistle
Although Sara's friends think she is pretty, Sara prefers to wear plain old jeans and a shirt to school. Occasionally, she likes to dress up just to mix things up, and on one of those occasions, her friend Cheri playfully wolf whistles at her in the hallway at school. Ms. Warren hears it, and gives them both a detention.
Chapter 10 The Birdhouse
Sara decides to build a birdhouse. She makes one side of it with clear Plexiglass so she can observe the bird family from her bedroom.
Chapter 11 Deer Hunting
After a big family breakfast at Grammy's house, Sara and her father drive up to the cabin they have rented in northern New Hampshire for their annual deer hunting trip.
Chapter 12 The Debate
Sara is a member of her high school debating club. She believes that Tim is a very good debater, but is frustrated by his procrastination in preparation for their upcoming debate. She likes Tim a lot, but feels that his constant procrastination is too much of a hurdle to overcome in establishing a romantic relationship with him.
Chapter 13 Shoein
After a big snowstorm, Sara goes snow shoeing with her friend Brenda. At the Lafayette Town Forest, Sara dusts the snow off of a plaque dedicated to the Marquis de Lafayette and begins discussing American exceptionalism with Brenda.
Chapterr 14 The Chickadee Family
A chickadee family makes use of the birdhouse that Sara built, and Sara is amazed at how tiny the baby chickadees are when they hatch.
Chapter 15 Fried Eggplant
The lilacs have bloomed, indicating to Sara and her father that it is time to plant their annual vegetable garden. Instead of using commercial pesticide, Sara makes her own bug repellant out of hot peppers, onion and garlic. She decides to grow eggplant because her friend Naomi's mother made fried eggplant, and Sara loved it.