First published 2011
Sullivan breaks free from London custody where he faced charges of mutiny and piracy aboard a slave ship. The Irish fiddler travels north on foot, stealing and conning his way toward the Durham coalfields. He carries a solemn promise to tell Billy Blair's family how their son died at sea. In the mining village of Thorpe, Billy's sister Nan lives with her husband James Bordon and their three sons, all destined for the dangerous pits. Meanwhile, Erasmus Kemp, son of the disgraced ship owner, battles in London courts for compensation over drowned slaves. When anti-slavery lawyer Frederick Ashton defeats his claim, Kemp turns his attention to coal and steel investments. Jane Ashton finds herself drawn to Kemp despite their opposing views on slavery. Both Sullivan and Kemp journey toward the same remote village, where their paths will cross in ways neither expects.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, redemption
Setting: London, Durham, Thorpe
Period: 19th-century
304 pages · Paperback · Random House Export
Content warnings: slavery, violence