In 1760, 13-year-old John joins his father, Captain MacNeil, on his return to Canada from England. The captain thinks time in the uncharted war zone of the New World will “make a man” out of his artistic, bookish son. With reluctance and excitement, John leaves behind Jane, his twin and best friend; the twins’ lengthy correspondence becomes the narrative link between John’s adventures. In Canada, John quickly surpasses his father’s expectations, becomes the King’s official artist, and makes friends among both settlers and natives.

A compelling story rich in Canadian history, A Circle of Silver is the first in a planned trilogy about John MacNeil. This novel, Maxine Trottier’s first for young adults, will keep readers aged 12 and up engrossed, and is an excellent companion to any early Canadian history lesson. Trottier brings to this novel the depth and storytelling skill she has demonstrated in such picture books as Flags.

The plot and characters are engaging and generally well developed, and Trottier evenhandedly negotiates different cultural backgrounds and historical issues such as Britain’s treatment of the First Nations. However, John’s 20th-century perspective of events and Jane’s feminist leanings strike an ahistorical note. The adventure-driven story falters when it leaves the realm of ships, storms, and kidnappings, and the subplot of John’s almost romantic friendship with a girl named Marie is one-dimensional and abrupt. Similarly, Marie’s overdetermined “twinning” with Jane is frustratingly unresolved. These loose ends may be tied up in future volumes but they detract from the current one.