A Slice of Orange

Fifteen Keys

Written and Illustrated
by
Peter J Barbour

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-954675-06-3
Print ISBN: 978-1-954675-05-6

Books2Read

In the year 1890, from a remote village in the Pacific Northwest, three teen-aged boys undertake a challenge, a rite of passage, to find fifteen “keys” that will help them grow into responsible adults and enable them to return home to become leaders in their community. They face challenging terrain, untamed wilderness, hostile weather, and a host of odd characters, any of which might delay or defeat them in their quest. But each experience has a lesson to teach the boys—a key to their development as young men.

Meanwhile, their cousins, too young to join them on their journey, wait at home, caring for their livestock, learning lessons of their own, and hoping they will see their kindred again. Will the boys be able to surmount their obstacles and return home, or will the dangers they face get the better of them, forever separating them from their families and the community they hoped to serve?

Fifteen Keys is an action-adventure fantasy for middle grade and young teens.

Amazon listed Fifteen Keys as the #1 Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult 19th Century Historical Fiction eBooks.

More Praise for Fifteen Keys

  Set in the Northwest at an earlier time than today, the book, so well written, presents a totally original story, and it is filled with life lessons, well told and well taught.  
      It is a book to be read by each of us, and more importantly it will be a wondrous read for our children and grandchildren, at just the age when they begin to face these ethical concerns in their own lives. 
          Fifteen Keys, even more than a great read, helps kids grow up more comfortably with their ethics sharpened. 
 ~  Rabbi Berg

Middle school students and young adults will immediately be hooked on this page-turner. This spiritual discovery reminiscent of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, teaches patience, faith, humbleness, and maintaining equanimity, just to name a few. It is a must read for young people facing the challenges of daily life today. 
~Stephanie Szilagyi, MEd Reading Specialist

Fifteen Keys is an exciting, engaging adventure story about three teenage boys in the Pacific Northwest in the late 19th century. As the reader anxiously follows their experiences, the author seamlessly weaves valuable life lessons into the tale.      

~Carol Marin, BA, MA History, high school teacher

The author’s skill in describing the beauty of the mountains, forests, plains, and waterways as well as the challenging weather conditions of the Pacific Northwest, puts the reader directly into the action. Highly recommended.                                    

 ~John P. Linehan, retired high school teacher

About the author

Neurologist Peter J Barbour, M.D., retired his reflex hammer to become a full-time writer and illustrator. His works include a memoir, Loose Ends, three illustrated children’s books: Gus at Work, Oscar and Gus, and Tanya and the Baby Elephant, and over forty short stories that have appeared in e-journals and magazines. One of them, “The Fate of Dicky Paponovitch,” earned him “Raconteur of the Month” from Susan Carol Publishing Company. He belongs to the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). He lives in Oregon with his photographer wife. They enjoy traveling and the outdoors. He is actively involved in Mussar, an ancient study of Jewish ethics, virtues, and mindfulness leading to character development. He participates in the process as a group facilitator and brings Mussar’s timeless wisdom to the writing of FIFTEEN KEYS.