Part of Enduring Hope
First published 2025
Lealie Bevard travels to Birmingham's Shiloh Baptist Church convention on September 19, 1902, with one goal in mind: securing a scholarship to continue her studies at Harvard. The determined Tuskegee Institute student sees this gathering as her chance to advance her education. The beautiful convention takes a deadly turn when a stampede erupts, leaving Lealie injured and her plans shattered. She recovers at the home of Milton Rafferty, a fellow Tuskegee student who becomes her unexpected host. As Lealie heals, she discovers Milton is investigating stolen church funds and a suspected murder connected to the tragedy. Her own academic ambitions take second place as she helps unravel the mystery. The forced pause in her carefully constructed future might serve a greater purpose than she imagined, opening doors to both justice and romance she never anticipated.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-american, mystery, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, historical, introspective, romantic, suspenseful
Tropes: forced-proximity, mystery-solving-partners, second-chance, unexpected-romance
Setting: Birmingham, Shiloh Baptist Church, Tuskegee Institute, Harvard
Period: September 19, 1902, Early 1900s
256 pages · Paperback · Barbour Fiction
Content warnings: death, murder