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A review by kbranfield
A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf
4.0
4.5 stars.
Inspired by real life events, A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf is a thought-provoking and sometimes heart-wrenching novel which takes place in the South during the mid-1800s.
Impoverished and starving due to the potato blight in Ireland, Henry O’Toole emigrates to America. Almost immediately upon his arrival, Henry changes his last name to Taylor due to discrimination toward the Irish. Desperately trying to avoid trouble, Henry leaves New York and becomes a traveling blacksmith. His path crosses with Sarah, who is a slave on the Jubilee Plantation, after he is hired by the owner, Matthew Johnson. Despite the very real danger of a relationship between them, Henry and Sarah eventually fall in love. But is there any chance of a future for them?
Sarah is devastated to be separated from her mother and brother when she is purchased by Mathew and his wife Martha at a slave auction. At Jubilee, she is a house slave who takes care of the Johnson’s young son Thomas. She also works under fellow slave, Maple, whose bitterness at her circumstances makes her vindictive and petty. Sarah attempts to remain above the jealousies and infighting between the other house slaves. But once her relationship with Henry is discovered, the rest of the slaves turn on her.
A More Perfect Union is a captivating novel with a compelling storyline. Sarah and Henry’s romance is sweet yet seemingly hopeless under the circumstances. Matthew and Martha are devout Christians who treat their slaves better than other plantation owners. However, they are determined to protect their Southern way of life. As Sarah and Henry plot their escape, Matthew has other plans for her future. The tension builds with every chapter as Sarah and Henry's efforts to leave are stymied at every turn. With one final act of desperation, Tammye Huf brings this poignant novel to a nerve-wracking yet heartwarming conclusion.
Inspired by real life events, A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf is a thought-provoking and sometimes heart-wrenching novel which takes place in the South during the mid-1800s.
Impoverished and starving due to the potato blight in Ireland, Henry O’Toole emigrates to America. Almost immediately upon his arrival, Henry changes his last name to Taylor due to discrimination toward the Irish. Desperately trying to avoid trouble, Henry leaves New York and becomes a traveling blacksmith. His path crosses with Sarah, who is a slave on the Jubilee Plantation, after he is hired by the owner, Matthew Johnson. Despite the very real danger of a relationship between them, Henry and Sarah eventually fall in love. But is there any chance of a future for them?
Sarah is devastated to be separated from her mother and brother when she is purchased by Mathew and his wife Martha at a slave auction. At Jubilee, she is a house slave who takes care of the Johnson’s young son Thomas. She also works under fellow slave, Maple, whose bitterness at her circumstances makes her vindictive and petty. Sarah attempts to remain above the jealousies and infighting between the other house slaves. But once her relationship with Henry is discovered, the rest of the slaves turn on her.
A More Perfect Union is a captivating novel with a compelling storyline. Sarah and Henry’s romance is sweet yet seemingly hopeless under the circumstances. Matthew and Martha are devout Christians who treat their slaves better than other plantation owners. However, they are determined to protect their Southern way of life. As Sarah and Henry plot their escape, Matthew has other plans for her future. The tension builds with every chapter as Sarah and Henry's efforts to leave are stymied at every turn. With one final act of desperation, Tammye Huf brings this poignant novel to a nerve-wracking yet heartwarming conclusion.