In search of a better life, nicholas and charles brisky join the french army and set sail for the new world in the mid-1700s. the brothers plan to send for their families once france's foothold is secure, but they are unexpectedly taken prisoner by the british. with the help of two british soldiers, charles and nicholas escape and flee south to the colonies, becoming soldiers in the revolutionary war. barely having time to settle and send for their families, they once again find themselves caught in the midst of the conflict. having returned home after seven years of battle, the two brothers discover their homes burned and their families massacred by indians. nicholas's young son is the only family member unaccounted for, and with broken spirits and in broken health, they decide to head to charleston for passage back to france. but what happens once they get to charleston marks the beginning of six generations of fascinating brisky family history. in each of the five generations to follow, the brisky families welcome sons named nicholas. and he shall be called nicholas recounts their stories, through life's hardships, joys, and heartaches, as each makes his way through american history, from the revolutionary war to the present.