The Legacy of a Steamboat Cabin Boy

The Legacy of a Steamboat Cabin Boy

Follow the adventures of a likeable, smart, 17-year-old, steamboat cabin boy, Niall MacCarthy, in this historical mystery/romance inspired by actual events. He is put ashore in 1880, in the river town of Cairo, IL after his first cigar makes him so sick that he can’t do his work that day. He witnesses a murder and learns the approximate whereabouts of a sunken strongbox, but he will need to invent a method to find and recover it from the murky depths. While dodging harm from town roughnecks, Niall provides critical assistance to the thirteen-year-old daughter of John D. Rockefeller after she falls from her horse in town. He meets a pretty farm girl, Sarah Baily, who steals his heart. Though she has limited schooling, Sarah is highly intelligent and reveals her amazing mathematical prowess to Niall by her daily work on the farm. The visit of former President Ulysses S. Grant creates opportunities and challenges. Humor abounds as Niall’s creativity is tested in the pursuit of the strongbox and his new love, though a violent criminal threatens disaster. The story incorporates historically accurate details about Cairo, President Grant’s visit, John D. Rockefeller, his daughter Bessie, as well as actual wealthy citizens of Cairo in the 1880s, such as members of the Halliday and Galigher families. - Additional comments added January, 2021: In view of some apparent misunderstanding about the nature of this novella, the author wishes now to be more explicit about how this book is intended to work on several levels. Yes, it is a straightforward, brief story about the adventures of a steamboat cabin boy. The telling provides opportunities to show the importance of approaching life's problems with intelligence and common sense while being honest, hard-working and thoughtful. It also is worthwhile to maintain a sense of humor. The pursuit of resources whereby to live as well as seeking romance and true love are important. But the Christian elements were not just haphazardly added to this story to enhance the picture of nineteenth century Irish culture. On another level, this is a Christian parable. Hard work and common sense actually are not sufficient to secure a happy and fulfilled life. Many slings and arrows will arise; ultimately, death will claim every person. In this case, Niall's Christian faith provides him with a broad perspective on life so that he can even face certain death with equanimity. It is vitally important to be a good person and to have wisdom about the ultimate meaning of life and of death, even if we do not have every answer at this time. In this specific story, Niall survives a threat to his life by an exceedingly unlikely circumstance, but Niall realizes that in the future his death by some other cause is certain at some point. While alive, though, Niall will continue his best to be a good person while remaining confident that God ultimately is in command and will not forget him. As you read the end of this novella, perhaps reflect on Daniel 6:16-23 and Daniel 12:2. "An engaging and entertaining book with likeable main characters, the reader will be drawn into the story and will genuinely care about whether the intelligent but inexperienced cabin boy, Niall MacCarthy, will be able to recover a sunken strongbox and win the heart of the smart and pretty farm girl, Sarah. Niall is ingenious and creative as he muddles his way through this adventure while escaping town ruffians. Niall is a bit of a mix of Tom Sawyer and Thomas Edison..." --Glenda Pritchett, PhD, Professor, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT James Magner, M.D. is an endocrinologist and scientist with a substantial technical publication history (70 articles, 12 book chapters).  He was born and lived for eighteen years in a Mississippi River town, Quincy, Illinois, and he had wanted for some time to publish fiction about the varied and colorful characters of 19th century mid-America. Though not exactly a riverboat gambler, Magner is a poker expert who placed 27th in the World Series of Poker Main Event, Las Vegas, in 2015; his poker winnings now exceed $400,000. He published a chess book(2011), a humorous memoir (2015), several creative nonfiction essays about the history of science, two award-winning short stories, and articles for a Catholic newspaper. An anthology of his "intelligent" short stories,  Seeking Hidden Treasures: A Collection of Curious Tales and Essays  (2020), has recently been a top one percent-ranked seller on Amazon.   He is married and volunteers at his church and a hospital, and he is also a regular blood donor.