On July 4th, 1777, Jake Mallery and his friends are celebrating their new nation's independence in a small coastal town in Connecticut. Fourteen-year-old Jake wants nothing more than to get out from under the strict thumb of his father and have some adventure. But he learns too late that he must be careful what he wishes for. Over the course of four more 4ths, he finds himself in increasingly adventurous circumstances--from battling the British army to barely surviving on a prison ship to finally returning home, war-torn and weary, but hopeful for his and America's future.