As the Civil War draws to a close, Landry and Prentiss, brothers born into slavery, take refuge on the homestead of George and Isabelle Walker as they try and make their way north, seeking their mother, who had been sold years ago. When George stumbles across the boys, he hires them to help him install a crop of peanuts, hoping the work will numb the grief of the loss of his only child to the war.
The forbidden romance of two Confederate soldiers also plays out in the town of Old Ox. The men meet in the woods and, when their secret is discovered, chaos ensues and culminates in murder. The repercussions are greater—for both of them—than either could have ever guessed.
In the aftermath of this grief and chaos, Isabelle is thrust to the forefront as the unlikely leader, whose strength results in a vision set to heal both the land and its citizens.
368 pages.
This is a haunting story of love and friendship set in antebellum
Virginia and Ohio. The baby Lisbeth is handed over to Mattie, her black,
enslaved wet nurse, moments after birth, which begins the bond that is
carried through both women's lives. Elizabeth is the privileged
daughter of southern plantation owners, and Mattie is, of course,
enslaved. Mattie cares for and loves the child just as she loves her
own, and Lisbeth spends more time with Mattie than her own distracted
mother. As Lisbeth grows into womanhood, Mattie finds that she must
seek freedom for her own family and she escapes, which produces some of
the most harrowing scenes in the text. Lisbeth later, upon the
realization of just how horrifying slavery really is, escapes herself
with an abolitionist minded husband. Both women find themselves in
Ohio, where the story takes on a melancholy tone, as race and class
still impact their existence.