A fast-moving tale of life on the river... This is the story of Tom and Roxa Malone, who lived and loved in the Ohio River Valley many years ago. The story starts as the Confederate Army crosses the Potomac in September, 1862, invading the North. Tom tries to run away from his strict Irish immigrant parents to enlist in the Pennsylvania Volunteers but is rejected because he is too young and receives a beating when he returns home to his parents. Two years later he finally breaks away from his overbearing parents and goes to work as a deckhand on the towboat Shark, beginning a series of adventures and narrow escapes in both war and peace. The annual rise and fall of the Ohio River begins to dominate Tom's life as he searches for his dream, finding happiness at last with his beloved Roxa. But he is not yet free of the bonds that still tie him to his family and to his Catholic faith... Based on a true story, this little book is full of fascinating real-life characters, traditions, places and events.