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Champagne's debut historical novel, the first of a trilogy, examines friendship and family as forged during the horrific era of chattel slavery in the nineteenth century. The story begins in the early 1850s as Berko Yaba, a young Ashanti teenager, is kidnapped while playing in the rain near his home in Ghana. He is housed with many other captured Ghanaians at the infamous Elmina Castle. Two weeks later, he is forced aboard the Destino, a slave ship bound for the islands of the West Indies. After a tortuous voyage of many weeks in which only 238 of an original 323 captives survive, Berko is sold on an auction block in Port Royal, Jamaica, to Jacob Marcus. Berko is the sugar plantation owner's first human purchase, and the boy notes that Marcus' behavior is different from other white men at the auction. A reasonably benevolent man, Marcus purchases two other boys that Berko had become acquainted with as they survived the horrors of the Atlantic passage. It is a comfort for them to continue their friendships. Marcus bestows his slaves with Christian names, and Berko is forever after known as Jedidiah Allen.
The author intertwines plot and subplots into a compelling tale of contrasting cultures and the challenging life situations unique to each. The multiple characterizations and plot threads are handled with ease, not a simple task in a complex, ambitious tale. The well-researched story is rich with historical facts and details. At times the reader may find that the story feels distant despite the strong, enthusiastic narrative voice because the expository storytelling style is lean on dialogue and descriptive sensory narrative. However, there's still much to capture readers' attention because of the imaginative plot and steady character development. Whether depicting captured Africans forced to labor far from the safety of their homelands while yearning for the arms of their original families or depicting more privileged European and American adventurers encountering obstacles while attempting to create prosperous new lives, the situations and characterizations help to advance the story.
Jed is much luckier than many slaves by surviving capture, his stay at Elmina Castle, and the voyage to Jamaica. He is also more fortunate than most by landing with a relatively compassionate master. Eventually, he suffers more degradation and abuse at the hands of Marcus's jealous neighbor, Ethan Jordan. Jordan resents the human kindness shown by Marcus to Jed and his fellow field hands and house slaves and is jealous of Marcus' success as one of the most prosperous planters on the island. But before this resentment boils over into murder and mayhem for Marcus and his household, Jed meets his future wife. She has also endured the indignities of captivity and near-starvation aboard the Destino and additional injury via repeated sexual assault on the voyage at just twelve years old. Afua Kakira, subsequently known as Mary, steals Jed's heart when he sees her deboarding the slave ship in her Ashanti robe. Marcus also purchases two other girls, hoping for happy relationships among his workers. Tragically, Mary also suffers deeply at the hands of Marcus' neighbor when he discovers her beauty and resents her happiness with Jed. He may be the only cliché character of the novel due to his unremitting, purely evil nature.
A world away, Johnny McDonald learns his trade as a farmer in Scotland. He is no stranger to hard labor when he begins farming his own land. Life is difficult when the potato crops fail, but there is the possibility of starting over in North America. Johnny and Jed have comparable yet very different experiences as they negotiate farm life from their perspectives as a free white man and an enslaved black man. Their wives, Diana and Mary, also experience similar highs and lows as women. Readers will anticipate the thrill of realizing that the paths of these two young men and women will eventually cross in North America after the McDonalds emigrate to Canada, while the Allens are sold to a plantation owner in Mississippi. Thanks to the Underground Railroad, a system of guides and safe houses that stretch from the antebellum South through fourteen states and into Canada, Jed and Mary flee their bonds and become close friends with the McDonalds. Love, wonder, and gratitude become a part of everyone's lives again as the couples work toward owning their own homes and land. They find that there are many "common threads" in their lives, both metaphorical and literal: "The McGee tartan sash [Diana's] mother made for her wedding… the colors were identical to Mary's Kente robe."
While living life in freedom has many merits, the story reminds readers that people's lives are, by nature, imperfect and that sorrow and suffering visit all humans despite positive intentions. Champagne aptly illustrates the complexity and nuances of human love and human suffering. Under the skin, all humans desire the same things: to enjoy happiness and avoid suffering, always striving toward acceptance and love. Circles of friends bond into extended families when circumstances tear families apart. Continual change is the only constant in life. With these points in mind, the author guides the tale full circle to Mississippi once again. More joys and challenges await a new generation in an environment still rife with prejudice and misunderstanding, setting the stage for the next book in the series.