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MWSA Review
This historical novel begins with a prologue that hints at the drama the main character Abby finds herself facing in the short two years this book covers. In October 1860, Abby’s husband Clifford is lost at sea and presumed dead. Abby’s cousin Katherine approaches her about helping a family of fugitives traveling through the area on their way to freedom in Canada. Abby considered playing a role in the Underground Railroad before, but Clifford discouraged her because of the risk it posed. Thinking all she had to do was provide a hot meal and overnight accommodations before her cousin Rachel takes the family to the next station, she reluctantly agrees.
The plan changes when they learn Rachel is under surveillance by a deputy marshal. Abby is forced to take the family (Ben, Chloe and Little Ben) to look for another conductor. After they are caught in an early snowstorm, they find shelter with an Acadian man Bill and his Abenaki stepchildren. Unable to leave until late spring, they all have to work together to survive. We learn about the experiences of the fugitives in slavery and their journey north. Bill shares the history of his people.
Part II of the book goes back to April 1860, when Abby and Clifford were engaged and getting to know each other. In Part III, Abby worries about life without her husband, while Bill finds himself attracted to Abby. Meanwhile, the fugitives face a devastating loss. Part IV returns to the story of Abby and Clifford after their wedding. Part V covers the beginning of the Civil War. Bill accompanies Abby and the fugitives as they continue their quest to get to Canada. After they successfully put the family on a train to Montreal, they begin their trip back. Bill wants Abby to return with him to his farm. Abby wants to go with him, but she insists on going home alone first to let her family know she is alive and find out what has happened while she was gone. On her way home, Abby has a life-threatening experience. When she gets home, what she learns changes everything.
I don’t want to spoil the rest of the book, so I will leave it there. This is an excellent book. I was skeptical that a man could write from the perspective of a woman, in general, and during this time period, in particular. The author did an excellent job at both. Abby is a strong and intelligent woman. All the characters are well developed. The book is full of history that is well researched and includes many real historical figures, locations, and events. It includes fourteen pages of references. I highly recommend it.
Review by Eva Nevarez St John
Author's Synopsis
Newlywed Abby Anderson is unsure whether to call herself a widow. In July of 1860, as the nation teeters on the brink of war, word comes that her merchant captain husband, Clifford, has been lost to the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Rejecting social expectations regarding proper mourning, Abby agrees to assist in an Underground Railroad operation out of her hometown of Woolwich, Maine. But an early October winter storm catches Abby and the fugitive slave family she's smuggling, and they find themselves snowed in with Bill Boudreaux, an Acadian trapper and farmer, and two Abenaki teenagers in the remote Maine wilderness.
The unlikely companions must work together to ensure their survival through the long, harsh winter and find themselves growing closer, creating an unexpected family few societies would approve of-and leaving Abbey with what feels like an impossible choice. When spring comes, she will continue her quest to see the fugitive family safely to Canada. And then, she must decide where she truly belongs.
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 351 / 88,753