Historical Adventure!

Lost Rights:  The Misadventures of a Stolen American Relic by David Howard

Nonfiction, History

The introduction to this book was so captivating, so masterful, so story-like, it's hard to believe such a tale actually happened!  Who says great adventures only happen in the movies?  I find the best ones are the ones from real life and this proves my point.

This is the story of one of the fourteen original  Bill of Rights.  There was one made for each of the thirteen colonies and one for the federal government.  The one for North Carolina was apparently stolen during the sacking of Raleigh at the end of the Civil War and was discovered/revealed decades later in Indianapolis hanging on the wall of a modest home.  Let the bidding begin!  But, who owns it?  The homeowner from Indianapolis or the State of North Carolina?  Or is it really the missing document from another state?

A cast of characters-both villains and heroes-inhabit these pages and are fit for any Hollywood screen.  The convoluted workings of tracing the who/where/what and why of this is so interesting and underling it all is patriotism and greed.  I love how a story such as this is so full of scandal and intrigue.  So much fuss for such a tiny scrap of paper!  This was a very interesting read with a very sobering ending.  I have definitely never read a book like this one.  If you like mysteries from history, be sure to check it out!