Brought to New England and bound into servitude to pay her father's debts, Alice Cole, at fifteen, can barely remember the time when she was not a servant to John Morton. His daughter, Nabby—only three years older than Alice—begins as Alice's childhood companion, but when Nabby weds, she becomes Alice's mistress. But the marriage is not what it appears, and Alice, endangered by its storm, defies her new master and the law, and escapes to Boston. Impulsively stowing away on a ship to Satucket on Cape Cod, Alice believes that she has left her old life and her secrets behind. Yet in a time of unrest and uncertainty, as political and personal stakes rise and intertwine, she discovers that freedom, friendship, trust, and love each have a price far greater than she ever imagined.
“This book, eloquently written and exhaustively researched, is a warning along the lines of The Handmaid’s Tale, and just as necessary a read.”
“Historical fiction at its very best…Impeccably researched, this story is spellbinding, giving a realistic view of life in 18th-century coastal New England.”
“[A] suspenseful and engaging look at the New England colonies in the decades immediately preceding the American Revolution. Richly detailed and impeccably researched, the novel . . . grapple[s] with what it means to pursue personal freedom, [and] the era’s sexual politics and religious and political fervor come alive. The result is moving, compelling, and beautifully wrought; highly recommended for historical fiction collections.”
“[A] colonial page-turner...horrifying, spellbinding.”
“A well written, thought provoking mid-eighteenth century thriller.”
Sally Gunning lives on Cape Cod with her husband.
Distributor: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 03-24-2009
Pages: 336
Measurements: 8in X 5.3125in X 0.756757in X 8.72oz
