Ian Cameron, a Boston cabinetmaker turned frontier trapper, has come to Mountain Laurel hoping to remake himself yet again--into his planter uncle's heir. No matter how uneasily the role of slave owner rests upon his shoulders. Then he meets Seona--beautiful, artistic, and enslaved to his kin. As fascination with Seona turns to love, Ian can no longer be the man others have wished him to be. Though his own heart might prove just as untrustworthy a guide, he cannot simply walk away from those his kin enslaves. With more lives than his and Seona's in the balance, the path Ian chooses now will set the course for generations of Camerons to come.Lori Benton's books don't shy away from tough subjects, but this one tackles what might be her thorniest subject yet--not just slavery, but the complex relations of children born to slave women and their white masters--and it delves far deeper than I ever would have anticipated.
The story is gritty and raw and not altogether happy. Rich and historical and faith-filled; hopeful, though in a bittersweet way. But just to be clear, it isn't a depressing read, and (most importantly) this is the first book of a duology. So while I wasn't wholly satisfied with where the book ended, I can rest secure in the knowledge that it isn't the end of the story! Rumors indicate that Joseph-Tames-His-Horse (from Burning Sky) will have a significant role in the sequel, and that would draw me in even if I weren't already thoroughly invested.
If you are interested in a rich, deeply-layered historical, with complex characters and a story that reaches far beyond race, then I highly recommend this novel.
Kindred:
1. Mountain Laurel
Related novels (in chronological order):
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