The Great Captain

Wat owes his life to Sir Walter Raleigh, yet his family history draws him toward people opposed to his protector. Katharine Tynan tells this historical novel through the recollections of an Irish boy whom Raleigh rescues during the Desmond rebellion. Given the name Wat, the child grows up learning riding, swordplay and scholarship under the captain's care. Raleigh's loss of royal favour and hopes of gaining treasure place their personal bond within a world of competing political ambitions.

A written message from Wat's uncle reveals the fate of his parents and urges him to leave those regarded as enemies of his people. Gratitude and family allegiance pull him in different directions. Later, Wat sails aboard the Bon Aventure and accompanies Raleigh to Westminster, where public enthusiasm surrounds a man whose position at court remains uncertain. The book offers readers a story of divided loyalty, with political conflict felt through a young person's attachment to the man who raised him.