The debut novel of Erin Bartels covers three different women – during the Civil War, the turbulent 60’s, and the modern day. Bartels covers topics such as slavery, racism, hatred, and love.
Mary is recently married and her house becomes a sanctuary for runaway slaves during the Civil War. Nora’s story unfolds in the 1960’s. She is a privileged white woman who falls in love with a Black man.
Finally, Elizabeth’s story is told in present-day. She is an out of work journalist who is responsible for delivering important photos to a great-aunt she's never met. However, her reluctance turns into curiosity when she learns what they are and ends up uncovering secrets in her own family history.
At 400 pages, it is not a short read, and is quite lengthy.
However, at the beginning, there is a questionable part where Elizabeth is told she and other white people look alike. She relates to this as a way of creating sympathy for minorities who might face the same thing. It is debatable whether or not the scene works as intended or doesn’t. Some readers might see it as sympathetic, while others see it as something else entirely.
For those intrigued by a good mystery with social context as well as historical notes, this would be a good read.
Mary is recently married and her house becomes a sanctuary for runaway slaves during the Civil War. Nora’s story unfolds in the 1960’s. She is a privileged white woman who falls in love with a Black man.
Finally, Elizabeth’s story is told in present-day. She is an out of work journalist who is responsible for delivering important photos to a great-aunt she's never met. However, her reluctance turns into curiosity when she learns what they are and ends up uncovering secrets in her own family history.
At 400 pages, it is not a short read, and is quite lengthy.
However, at the beginning, there is a questionable part where Elizabeth is told she and other white people look alike. She relates to this as a way of creating sympathy for minorities who might face the same thing. It is debatable whether or not the scene works as intended or doesn’t. Some readers might see it as sympathetic, while others see it as something else entirely.
For those intrigued by a good mystery with social context as well as historical notes, this would be a good read.