Intheyear1754,thestillnessofCharlestown,NewHampshire,isshatteredbytheterrifyingcriesofanIndianraid.YoungMiriamWillard,onadaythathadpromisednewhappiness,findsherselfinsteadacaptiveonaforesttrail,caughtupintheebbandflowoftheFrenchandIndianWar.Itisaharrowingmarchnorth.Miriamcanonlyforceherselftothenextstoppingplace,thenextsmallportionoffood,thenexticystreamtobecrossed.Attheendofthetrailwaitsalifeofhardworkand,perhaps,evenalifeofslavery.MingledwithherthoughtsofPhineasWhitney,hersweetheartonhiswaytoHarvard,isthecryingofhersister’sbaby,Captive,bornonthetrail.MiriamandhercompanionsfinallyreachMontreal,acityofshiftingloyaltiesfilledwiththeintrigueofwar,andhere,byasuddentwistoffortune,MiriammeetstheprominentDuQuesnefamily,whointroducehertoalifeshehasneverimagined.Basedonanactualnarrativediarypublishedin1807,CalicoCaptiveskillfullyreenactsanabsorbingfacetofhistory.
