Those crucial years surrounding the United States' lesser-known War of 1812 with England the far-flung menace of France's Napoleon Bonaparte frame "American Phoenix," the engrossing saga of John Quincy and Louisa Adams's sacrifices for their nascent nation and the cause of liberty. Author Jane Hampton Cook transports readers into ships' crude cabins, bumpy horse-drawn coaches, opulent imperial palaces, and the unplowed corridors of post-Revolutionary power. As the epic unfolds through her concise journalistic pace, Cook: brings to resounding life John Quincy and Louisa's complex relationship, through diaries, letters, and other original sources; chronicles Adams's unlikely political resurrection through is "honorable exile," leading the first US diplomatic post in pre-Soviet Russia; portrays a mother's agonizing struggle between duty to her husband and nation and devotion to the young children she must leave behind; captures behind-the scenes-details from young America's stumbling transformation from a nation-in-name-only to an emerging world power; spotlights John Quincy's quest to see his beloved country achieve honor, dignity, respect, and recognition from other nations of the world; explores the crucial political dynamics of two continents and multiple countries on the brink of war; and, sheds light on both Adams's' brushes with the audacious Napoleon Bonaparte. "American Phoenix" honors the ordinary heroes of a pivotal epoch in US history simply by telling their compelling personal stories and chronicling the triumph that can result when anyone's life-yours, mine, or theirs-takes an unexpected journey that changes everything.

Author's note: recalling the ones who ere / Part I. Journey interrupted. Murder outside -- Thief inside -- Lost -- The crossing / Part II. Journey begins. Fireworks -- Good-bye, Boston birches -- Danish prey -- Three hundred Americans -- Caricature vs. character -- All the world's a stage -- Baltic circle -- Fig leaves -- Deja vu -- Eve's leaves -- Loneliness and splendor -- When in Rome -- French économie -- Ice hills -- Divorce -- Water -- Winter woes -- Contradictions -- Pretense and propriety -- Plato's beard -- Moving on -- Fencing pirates -- French choice -- French accomplice -- Obstinate -- American Cinderellas -- Christening -- The snub -- New year's bang -- Exit strategy -- French cooling -- Recall and relocation -- Correspondence and contractions -- Supreme recall -- Summer solstice -- The removal -- The confinement -- Christening reprise -- Comets -- Baltic freeze -- Interference -- Tomorrow -- Heaven -- Enemy within -- Impressment -- Retreat -- Dry bones / Part III. Journey resurrected. Escape -- American phoenix -- Queen of hearts -- King of spades -- "The Star-Spangled Banner" -- Antebellum -- Vive! / Epilogue: the birches of Boston.