The Road to Devotion
When Sarah Talton’s father suddenly passes away in the summer of 1860, she is left with a teenaged sister to care for, and the family farm and several slaves to oversee. Determined to keep their land out of the hands of opportunists, she embraces her father’s iron will and hardhearted demeanor.
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Her life changes when she is given charge of a runaway slave, Jacquerie Bodin, from Louisiana. As Jacquerie assists Sarah in her quest to develop a romance with a Frenchman who speaks no English, Sarah begins to question the values and beliefs instilled by her father and upheld by her neighbors in Winston, North Carolina. With the Civil War looming, and community leaders clamoring for blood and obedience, both women find themselves traveling a dangerous road that will lead either to their ruin or to their freedom.
A Note from the Author
Historical fiction isn’t the easiest genre to write, primarily because of the restrictions in the language of character dialogue and the detail that goes into scene description, but I confess that the vast amount of research that went into this novel was a joy for the author, and hopefully makes the story more authentic for the reader. As you follow Sarah and Jacquerie along their journeys, you will notice a number of local landmarks in Winston, Salem, and surrounding environs. By incorporating as much local flavor as possible, my hope is that the reader can easily imagine the entire cast of characters in this unique time and place in American history, and their story comes to life in the imagination.
