See inside
Tanglewood, a romantic historical novel, is the name of a pre-Civil War Kentucky plantation. Its main characters all rise from this uniquely mysterious land. The saga’s major theme is freedom. Readers may find their concepts of history challenged as the players seek this precious gift in their own ways. Throughout the pages, six pairs of lovers will rip through popular notions of black-white love against the backdrop of the reality of slavery.
This novel was inspired by the slaves’ narratives transcribed and compiled by writers during the Great Depression.
In 1858, Kentucky’s slave trade was in its darkest days. But Cassius, a young virile black man, has enjoyed a protected existence at Tanglewood. His best friend is John Livingston, an enlightened individual who chose to set up his land as a haven for the enslaved until emancipation could free them.
Then one terrible night, the hidden secrets of John’s greedy wife led to an unspeakable tragedy. As his life shatters, Cassius plots vengeful murder. He flees rapidly with his pregnant wife, son and father to begin a perilous passage along the Underground Railroad. Having escaped the hangman’s rope, he now has to outrun and outwit bounty hunters as he races north to freedom.
A safe house on the trail hides another traveler. It is his ex-lover, the mother of his son. Cassius is forced to consider now for whom he’s willing to fight. His freedom is at stake, sharpened by the painful realization that they are very much alike. He remembers her kiss but forgets that Mattie can betray. Cassius is now torn between desire and fidelity—and the pull of freedom.
All along the risky trail he hears his soul screaming, “You will not die a slave. You are free!”
