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The love story of John Webber and Sylvia Hector defies the odds as it unfolds at the height of the slave trade in America. Webber is from a white, wealthy, New England family, and Sylvia is born an African princess, enslaved and transported across the Atlantic. Their separate paths eventually lead to each other, and despite their differences and the impossible times they live in, they fall in love. Rejected by Webber’s family and forbidden to marry, they set out for Tejas and begin life as pioneers in a new land. But when revolution arrives, and the Republic of Texas is formed, the bigotry the Webbers sought to escape comes with renewed ferocity.
This sweeping historical novel is full of adventure and flawless period details as John and Sylvia make a new life in a territory that is challenging but open to settlers who want a new start and opportunities to build a family homestead. Kemp brings the struggle to life as the couple works to establish a new life together with their children and a growing community of settlers. Through John and Sylvia’s story, social issues and fresh perspectives are explored during a tumultuous period of history that still has deep repercussions today. Their high-stakes relationship is tender and compelling as is their life among hostiles, friends, war, and the unpredictable elements of weather and land.
This is a powerful page-turner about courage, love, hope, and change in violent and difficult times. With well-drawn characters and memorable scenes, Kemp’s story chronicles an early interracial marriage alongside the fascinating history of Texas and the Civil War. Readers will be inspired by this story of the Webber family that would be lost to history if not for Kemp’s commitment to rescue it from the forgotten past.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review