All Adrift; Or, The Goldwing Club

"All Adrift; Or, The Goldwing Club" by Oliver Optic is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around a young boy named Dory Dornwood, who, after losing his job as a waiter, seeks a way to support his struggling family while facing various adventures on Lake Champlain. Dory encounters challenges and opportunities, leading him to purchase a sailboat named the Goldwing, which has a notorious reputation for accidents. At the start of the narrative, we meet Dory as he works on a steamboat, where he faces a temperamental passenger named Major Billcord, which results in his unjust discharge. Disheartened but determined, Dory wanders Plattsburgh in search of work but instead becomes embroiled in a mysterious encounter involving a stranger and a gunshot. After helping this stranger, he receives a reward and ultimately uses this money to acquire the Goldwing. As the story unfolds, Dory’s bold spirit and ingenuity come to the forefront, leading him to inspire a group of friends to form the Goldwing Club, highlighting themes of camaraderie, adventure, and personal growth. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Taylor Adams, pseudonym Oliver Optic, was an academic, author, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.