The Millers

About the Book

"THE MILLERS" By: John H. Bennett SYNOPSIS "THE MILLERS" is a historic fiction novel that follows the life of "Justin MacKay", the latter eighteenth century eleven-year-old son of a Scottish Highland Miller. Justin was raised in a Highland gristmill, owned by Lord Bentley and run by Justin's family for more than twelve generations. Driven by a ruthless Landlord, Justin's father is compelled to suicide. Consequently, Justin is separated from his family and sold into indenture, and at the age of eleven, he is shipped off to the colonies. The villains in our story are the British aristocracy in general and in particular, one "Squire Smythe" and his partner, "Lawyer Wise". They are passengers on the ship on which Justin sails to America as an indentured cabin boy. The Squire is a British aristocrat who plots to kill and rob one of the crew members. Justin and his friend and fellow cabin boy over-hear the Squire’s plans. In spite of Justin's efforts to foil the plan, the crew man is killed and robbed of his life savings and Justin and his friend are the only ones who know what the Squire has done. In Boston, Justin's indenture is auctioned to a colonial gristmill operator named "John Richardson" and Justin grows up in "Richardson's Mills" where he becomes a respected if somewhat segregated member of the British colonial society. During the course of Justin's adolescence, he encounters sexual adventures and disappointments in spite of, and in the latter case, because of, his Puritanical surroundings. Eventually Justin meets and falls in love with "Jessica White" aka "Jennifer MacKay”, a fugitive accused of witchcraft. After a complicated courtship, with the help of the Richardson family, they open a gristmill of their own on the frontier in Northern New England and Jessica and Justin are married Throughout the story, Justin is confronted by the villain Squire Smyth and company. Justin uses his knowledge of the Squire's wrong doing to foil his attempts to swindle vulnerable and naive new-comers and eventually, the Squire, joined by Lord Bentley plots to kill Justin. With the help of a mysterious Canadian Indian named "Coo-Mect" (The Mystic), the powerful Squire, Lawyer Wise and Lord Bentley are disposed of in spite of their political protection. For a copy of the completed three hundred thirty-five - 105,739 word manuscript, either on paper or on a 3 1/2" floppy disk (Word Perfect 11), please contact: James H. Butler P. O. Box 123 Milton Mills, New Hampshire 03852-0123 Or call: (603) 473-8775 E-mail at: jmiltonmills@aol.com —

About the Author

John H. Bennett is a retired Industrial Engineer with more than thirty-five years of diversified experience in New England industry. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and a former Vice President of the” Londonderry, New Hampshire Historical Society”. He is a long time member of the ‘Society for the Preservation of Old Mills” and has worked on documenting and restoring several old gristmills, sawmills and black smith shops in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. “The Millers” is his first historic fiction novel, creating fictional characters and story lines and presenting them in an accurate recreation of the eighteenth century colonial New England mills. .