About the Book
Avalina is a woman trapped in silence. Stolen from her home in Ireland and sold as a slave to a Barbados plantation owner, the trauma of her past has left her mute, wrapped in a prison of loneliness and isolation amid an island of beauty. Though she longs to be free from the cruelty of her overseer, her heart yearns for a greater freedom…something just beyond her grasp.
Josiah Holland has been born into a South Carolina slave-holding family but all it takes is one trip to the island of Barbados to open his eyes to the ugly cruelty that abounds beyond the confines of his plantation. With the aid of fiery abolitionist Benjamin McGee, Josiah forges a new future, fighting the very ideals he was once a part of.
When Avalina and Josiah’s lives entwine, will their spark engulf them in destruction, or ignite a revolution?
Book Excerpt
“No, but—”
“Enough of your insolence. Or must I strike you too?”
Tabia tucked her chin and scurried away. I averted my gaze but stole another glance at the harsh woman. Her face was stern and unbending, and I wondered if she had ever smiled, ever spoke with anything other than garlicky displeasure.
And then, afterward, the faintest light flickered in her eyes—not sympathy, for the woman had too much sense for such a base, useless emotion—but perhaps a kind of understanding, as if she too had been the lowest in the house and remembered the toil and chapped fingers, the loneliness such work birthed in relative isolation.
And if Baara had felt isolated, how much more for a white, freckled, mute slip of a young woman.
Or perhaps I had only imagined the glimmer of empathy before the shutter to the housekeeper’s soul slammed shut once more.
I shivered and darted toward the kitchen door. I must cause no trouble.
The Redlegs … Would Master Cyrene cast me out, dooming me to a life with such a forsaken group?
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About the Author
Tara Johnson is an author and speaker, and loves to write stories that help people break free from the lies they believe about themselves.
Tara’s debut novel Engraved on the Heart (Tyndale) earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and was a finalist in the Carol and Christy awards. Tara has been published by Tyndale House, Annie’s, and Guideposts. In addition to being published in a variety of digital and print magazines, she is a certified body language expert and has been on radio, television and podcasts. She is a history nerd, especially the Civil War, and adores making people laugh. She, her husband, and children live in Arkansas.