Georges cloistered life in New York changes as the War for American Independence looms and he must struggle with what it means to be half Mohawk Young George Johnson lives in an extraordinary family in extraordinary times His father is Sir William Johnson one of the richest and most powerful men in colonial New York His mother is Molly Brant stepdaughter of a Mohawk chief and sister of Iroquois leader Joseph Brant George spends his early years in a grand mansion called Johnson Hall but his cloistered life changes as the War for American Independence looms As the rebel forces gradually take over the valley George and his family are forced to flee their home and seek refuge with Mollys friends and relatives George longs to follow his brothers footsteps into battle Instead Molly sends him to boarding school in Montreal where he spends three miserable years waiting for Peters return Finally at the age of thirteen he persuades his mother to allow him to join in a last raid on the valley where he grew up In a riveting climax he experiences firsthand the inglorious brutality and futility of the war and struggles with what it means to be half Mohawk And at last he learns the hard truth about the fate of his beloved brother Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts CCSSELALITERACYRL63 Describe how a particular storys or dramas plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution CCSSELALITERACYRL66 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text