A captive Scot from
the remnant of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s uprising, Alex MacKinnon, is
sent as an indentured servant to North Carolina. Even there his plans
go awry when he is claimed by Phineas Reeves, overseer of Severn
Plantation owned by Edmung Carey. He is to become a blacksmith.
On the plantation he
finds himself drawn to the struggles of the slaves. He is also
attracted to Joanna, Edmund’s stepdaughter. She is gentle and kind
to all around here. To his surprise, she is drawn to him also,
although she is supposed to marry Phineas Reeves. With many crises,
things get worse on the plantation and Alex is forced to flee to the
mountains where he meets the Cherokee and Reverend Pauling whose wise
counsel changes his life and brings him back to the Lord.
This is a
beautifully written historical novel with a Christian background. In
fact, according to the author it’s based on a short story in one of
Paul’s epistles. It concerns Onesimus, a runaway slave of the
wealthy Philemon. I thought the author did an excellent job of
translating the story in to the 1800s America.
The character are
complex and well-rounded. Both Joanna and Alex are conflicted, but
the trials they experience open their eyes to the needs of people,
particularly the slaves, around them and make them realize how much
they need and love each other. Although a Christian book, the story
contains some difficult topics, such as child abuse and race
relations. If read by an adolescent, parents should be ready to
discuss the topics to make the book more meaningful.
The descriptions are
lush. They draw you into the North Carolina countryside in the 1800s.
I felt as though I could see the plantation and the mountains. If you
enjoy historical fiction with a Christian base, this is an excellent
choice.
I received this book
from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.
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