The war of 1812 is over, but for the inmates at Dartmoor Prison, peace—like home—is still a long way away.On New Year’s Eve 1814, the American sailors of the Eagle finally arrive at Dartmoor prison, bedraggled, exhausted, but burning with hope. They’ve only had one thing to sustain them during the har- rowing voyage—a snatched whisper overheard along the way. The war is finally over.Joe Hill thought he’d left the war outside these walls but it’s quickly clear that there’s a different type of fight to be had within. The seven prison blocks surrounding him have been segregated; six white and one black.Inspired by true events, this novel recounts the remarkable story of the first ever all-black Shakespeare production, staged by segregated American prisoners of war. It is a story of hope and freedom, of loss and suffering. It is a story about how sometimes, in our darkest hour, it can be the most unlikely of things that see us through.

The incarceration of French and American prisoners of war in Dartmoor Prison, at a time when Britain was at war with both its traditional enemy and the young nation of former British colonies, was a dark and unusual episode. Acts of cruelty and degradation were countered by defiance and a spirited loyalty by the prisoners to their respective countries. Much of the story is told firsthand by those who were there, against a background of warfare and glorious victories on all sides. The author relates how a barren landscape that was (and is) subject to the worst of winter weather was transformed into a thriving township by one very determined man, Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, and why such a place was chosen to build a prison. The design and construction of the prison are described, as are the experiences of the men held in the harsh, overcrowded conditions of Dartmoor. From May 1809 to February 1816, 271 American and more than 1100 French prisoners of war died in confinement.