On September 13, 1882, The S.S. Asia, dangerously overloaded with 100 or sopassengers, crew and horses and cows, sailed from Ontario’s Collingwoodharbour into a rising gale on Georgian Bay. Only two people survived the journey… But what if there was a third survivor? Tommy Smith is an orphan, working atthe stables in Collingwood, Ontario. A bit of a mischievous boy, who sometimessteals to get warmer clothes, he witnesses the president of the shippingcompany, his henchman, and a shareholder arguing, an argument that results inthe shareholder’s death. Unfortunately for Tommy, he is discovered. In hiseffort to get away from the president’s henchman, Harry Jones, he sneaksaboard the Asia. Tommy miraculously survives, and is found washed up on shore bytwo natives, who care for him for six months or so, before taking him to thetown of Midland. There, Tommy reads the papers and discovers he is being blamedfor the death of the shareholder and that he is also presumed dead. Under a newname, Tommy travels to Toronto and ends up joining a circus that needs help withsome horses. There he is happy until Harry Jones chances upon him… Based on a true piece of Northern Ontario history, The Adventures of TommySmith will engage the middle grade reader and pull them into thisenticing, rip-roaring tale of courage, mischief and fun.
