First published 2024
Charlotte thought escaping White Oaks plantation would bring her true freedom. Instead, she hides in her white-passing father's Philadelphia home in 1837, both of them dodging slavecatchers who could drag her back South. The City of Brotherly Love promised liberty but delivers only fear and concealment. Charlotte finds hope when she meets Nell, a wealthy young Black woman fighting for abolition. Their friendship opens new possibilities until Evie arrives. Charlotte's friend from the plantation has been brought north by their former mistress and desperately needs rescue. Charlotte and Nell plot to free Evie, but Philadelphia erupts in race riots. Abolitionists face violent attacks. The three women discover that saving one friend might destroy them all. Each comes from different worlds: Charlotte the fugitive, Nell the privileged activist, Evie the trapped servant. Together they must navigate a city that preaches equality while practicing hatred.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, social-justice
Setting: Philadelphia, White Oaks Plantation
Period: 1837
512 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print
Content warnings: racism, slavery, violence