Review: Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

“Wholly engrossing, exquisitely researched, and so timely. Sadeqa Johnson brings a fresh telling to a story we think we already know, making it beautifully relatable and human. Riveting and suspenseful, I highly recommend this novel.” —Kathleen Grissom New York Times Bestselling author of The Kitchen House

This harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Born on a plantation in Charles City Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a privileged life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the plantation’s medicine woman, and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.

Freedom on her eighteenth birthday has been promised to her, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known and unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous “Devil’s Half-Acre,” a jail where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day in Richmond, Virginia. There Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailor’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive Pheby will have to outwit him but soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.

Paperback, 277 pages

Expected publication: January 12th 2021

 by Simon & Schuster

4/5 stars

New to me author Sadeqa Johnson packs a lot of punch in these 277 pages of Yellow Wife.  This is my first time in what feels like ages to be reading US historical fiction about slavery and what those of color endured.

Just shy of her 18 years, Pheby has been promised her freedom papers but then everything changes and not in a good way.  Pheby told her story beginning with promise, love and hope that changed to despair and heartache.  Needless to say it was a emotional read and honesty given the time period how could it not be.  It was a horrible time in history.

The last few pages of this book contained author notes (a must for HF imho) where the author talked of her inspiration and research.  While the characters were fictional they do revolve around a real jail set on 1/2 an acre where the circumstances were drawn from.  Sometimes hard to read the author didn't always hold back it to what took place. The characters were authentic and it wasn't hard to feel for them.

I liked the ending but I did crave for more.  I would have loved for the story to have continued for a little bit longer.  All in all a great read by an author that I will be on the lookout for her backlist.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for a print ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spotlight/Giveaway: The Abolitionist's Daughter by Diane C. McPhail

The Abolitionist's Daughter by Diane C. McPhail

Publication Date: April 30, 2019

A John Scognamiglio Book/Kensington

Genre: Historical Fiction

In her sweeping debut, Diane C. McPhail offers a powerful, profoundly emotional novel that explores a little-known aspect of Civil War history—Southern Abolitionists—and the timeless struggle to do right even amidst bitter conflict.

On a Mississippi morning in 1859, Emily Matthews begs her father to save a slave, Nathan, about to be auctioned away from his family. Judge Matthews is an abolitionist who runs an illegal school for his slaves, hoping to eventually set them free. One, a woman named Ginny, has become Emily’s companion and often her conscience—and understands all too well the hazards an educated slave must face. Yet even Ginny could not predict the tangled, tragic string of events set in motion as Nathan’s family arrives at the Matthews farm.

 A young doctor, Charles Slate, tends to injured Nathan and begins to court Emily, finally persuading her to become his wife. But their union is disrupted by a fatal clash and a lie that will tear two families apart. As Civil War erupts, Emily, Ginny, and Emily’s stoic mother-in-law, Adeline, each face devastating losses. Emily—sheltered all her life—is especially unprepared for the hardships to come. Struggling to survive in this raw, shifting new world, Emily will discover untapped inner strength, an unlikely love, and the courage to confront deep, painful truths.

 In the tradition of Cold Mountain, The Abolitionist’s Daughter eschews stereotypes of the Civil War South, instead weaving an intricate and unforgettable story of survival, loyalty, hope, and redemption.

 

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Praise for The Abolitionist's Daughter

"Diane McPhail excavates a nearly forgotten corner of American history and brings it to full, beating life. This is a fascinating and heartfelt look at the kinds of stories that don't always make it into the history books." -Louis Bayard, author of Courting Mr. Lincoln

 "A contender, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched story . . . as good as it deserves to be." -Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author "Complex, vivid, and emotionally engaging. This is a story of harsh realities written with a tenderness that shines through and honors the account of one woman's struggle to overcome her society's rules and her circumstances in the face of inconceivable devastation. I couldn't put it down." -Carol E. Anderson, author of You Can't Buy Love Like That

"What an impressive book this is! Diane McPhail works a spell on the reader, transporting us to Mississippi in the 19th century, introducing us to a family torn apart by the time and place in which they live. She tells a dark tale, yet it's laced with lyricism and compassion. This is a powerful, imaginative, captivating book-I'd say, even urgent, considering the time we find ourselves in now." -Judy Goldman, author of Together

 "A tender, sparkling debut that bears gentle witness to the abominations of slavery and oppression while heralding the grace, power and necessity of righting wrongs and choosing love. McPhail is full of talent and heart." -Ethel Rohan, author of The Weight of Him"

 

About the Author

Diane C. McPhail is an artist, writer, and minister. In addition to holding an M.F.A., an M.A., and D.Min., she has studied at the University of Iowa distance learning and the Yale Writers’ Workshop, among others. Diane is a member of North Carolina Writers' Network and the Historical Novel Society. She lives in Highlands, North Carolina, with her husband, and her dog, Pepper.

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Giveaway

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 Abolitionist's Daughter
 

Review: A Murderous Malady by Christine Trent

For fans of Charles Todd and Deanna Raybourn comes Christine Trent’s second Florence Nightingale mystery.

 Cholera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when people begin dying of a far more intentional cause—murder.

The London summer of 1854 is drawing to a close when a deadly outbreak of cholera grips the city. Florence Nightingale is back on the scene marshaling her nurses to help treat countless suffering patients at Middlesex Hospital as the disease tears through the Soho slums. But beyond the dangers of the disease, something even more evil is seeping through the ailing streets of London. 

It begins with an attack on the carriage of Florence’s friend, Elizabeth Herbert, wife to Secretary at War Sidney Herbert. Florence survives, but her coachman does not. Within hours, Sidney’s valet stumbles into the hospital, mutters a few cryptic words about the attack, and promptly dies from cholera. Frantic that an assassin is stalking his wife, Sidney enlists Florence’s help, who accepts but has little to go on save for the valet’s last words and a curious set of dice in his jacket pocket. Soon, the suspects are piling up faster than cholera victims, as there seems to be no end to the number of people who bear a grudge against the Herbert household.

 Now, Florence is in a race against time—not only to save the victims of a lethal disease but to foil a murderer with a disturbingly sinister goal—in A Murderous Malady.

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Crooked Lane Books

Hardcover & eBook; 336 Pages

Genre: Historical Mystery

***

A Murderous Malady is the second book in the A Florence Nightingale Series, it definitely works fine as a stand-alone.

With so many contemporary mystery’s out there it’s a treat to read a historical one for a change.  Though I am not overly familiar with the life of Florence Nightingale I enjoyed her portrayal here. With the story equally divided between the mystery and the cholera epidemic/hospital duties it was easy to get a feel for her talents.

A Murderous Malady was an interesting story, tagging along beside Florence (and Mary, I really like Mary) as she dawned her sleuth hat unraveling clues. There were times it was a little slow but all in all I was kept guessing and ultimately enjoyed a satisfying ending.

My thanks to Amy from HFVBT and the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Christine Trent is the author of the Florence Nightingale Mysteries, the Lady of Ashes historical mystery series, about a Victorian-era undertaker, and three other historical novels. Christine’s novels have been translated into Turkish, Polish, and Czech. She writes from her two-story home library, where she lives with her husband, four precocious cats, a large doll collection, entirely too many fountain pens, and over 4,000 catalogued books.

 Learn more about Christine at www.christinetrent.com.

You can also follow her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Review: Waves of Mercy (Waves of Mercy #1) by Lynn Austin

Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she's asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one true love.

 At the nearby Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of a broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after a violent storm aboard a steamship stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her.

 Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.

Paperback, 384 pages

 Published October 4th, 2016

 by Bethany House

*****

This is my second Lynn Austin book (Where We Belong was my first - click to see my review).  I was drawn to Waves of Mercy because of the location - my family hales from the Netherlands so any piece of HF I can get my hands on I grab. 

Told from 2 different points of view - one being 23-year-old Anna in 1897 and from Geesje who goes back to 1847 and relays her experiences traveling and being one of the first families to settle in Holland, Michigan. It's evident the author knows the area which came through in her writing.

With many layers, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book.  I found the historical aspects enlightening, easy to not just visualize but feel the emotional struggles that occurred.  Not heavy on the romance side was a nice change but love, marriage, and family do play a big role here. The internal struggles both Anna and Geesje deal with was authentic, heartbreaking at times.  As the story unfolded I connected with these ladies, they were on a journey with faith and searching for answers playing center stage.  This is Christian HF and that played predominately.

Lynn Austin is fast becoming a favorite of mine for her interesting plots, locations off the beaten path and character development.  I highly recommend Waves of Mercy and hope to read its sequel, Legacy of Mercy over the summer.

This book is part of my '2019 reading off my shelf challenge'.

Review: Searching for You (Orphan Train #3) by Jody Hedlund

Despite years on the run, Sophie Neumann is determined to care for two young children. She won't abandon them the way she thinks her older sisters abandoned her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing 1850s New York is her only option.

Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life.

Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he's in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?

 Paperback, 341 pages

 Published December 4th, 2018

by Bethany House Publishers

*** 1/2

Book 3 in the Orphan Train Series concludes with Sophie's story.  Introduced in book 1 - With You Always along with her sisters Marianne and Elise, it's now time to hear from Sophie.  While this book can work as a standalone I highly recommend reading this series in order - things will fit together nicely and make more sense.

The author definitely captured the era with this series and Searching for You also highlights the struggles, both physical, mental and spiritual in what farmers went through.  It's a lot of work just to survive, more so when running from the past with no idea where to head. I liked Sophie, the youngest of the 3 sisters she was easily hurt and left out which took her to New York City.  A fierce determination to take care of Olivia and Nicholas (on her own) and trouble in the City sent her running with some tough decisions to be made.

It wasn't just Sophie's story here but also Reinhold who appears in the 2 previous books, which rounded out this book nicely.  The conclusion was fitting, wrapping up loose ends.

This was my first time reading Jody Hedlund, I will continue with more of her books, I like her writing style, attention to detail and ability to put me right in the setting.  Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy (via Netgalley).

 click on the cover to take you to my review

Review: Together Forever (Orphan Train #2) by Jody Hedlund

Marianne Neumann has one goal in life: to find her lost younger sister, Sophie. When Marianne takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a better life but seeks to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train.

 Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children--firm but tender and funny. Underneath his handsome charm, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up placing orphans amid small railroad towns in Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published May 1st 2018

by Bethany House Publishers

*** 1/2

Together Forever is book 2 in the Orphan Train Series involving sisters Elise, Marianne and Sophie. With You Always is the first one and I highly recommend starting there to get a better sense of the history of these sisters.

As Marianne boards the train bound for Illinois she gets more than she bargained for. Her goal was to find her sister, Sophie, but rather she bonds with the kids and the distant Andrew who is also hiding secrets from his past. When tragedy strikes so much changes.

Together Forever is a story of self discovery, forgiving oneself and of letting go. I enjoyed the history aspect here, how scared those kids must have been traveling and then placed with complete strangers. The romance part played out somewhat as I expected. Faith is a big part of the story especially with 2 characters carrying a lot of guilt.

This was an enjoyable story highlighting the early life of The Children's Aid Society, how it operated and the struggles of the children and workers.

This series continues with Searching For You scheduled to be released in Dec. 2018.

Thank you to Bethany House for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.