An unlikely souvenir from the American Revolution becomes the unusual focal point of a spur-of-the-moment fly-fishing trip. The coveted relic, an inkwell, spirals from a casual topic of conversation into a wondrous curiosity, a reason for family introspection, and a backdrop for a lifelong struggle with faith.

Fly fishing is the shared and spirited high ground for four long-time friends. Their playful banter about those differences runs throughout this tale with good-humored purpose, until a surprising event sends their attention in a new direction.

The Inkwell celebrates family connections, current and ancestral. If Grandfather Reed hadn't escaped from British captivity in 1777, this 21st-century tale could not be told.