Covenant

by C.D. Harper

Imagine a life engulfed by a Civil War that will change everything about the world as you know it, the one your daddy built for you and your son and your son’s son and on into perpetuity, a world built on the promises of slavery but compromised by the ideals of a new nation. In 1863 Seth Hunter Junior, heir to the Covenant Plantation, is caught between the traditional Southern plantation life and the new life brought on by the Civil War and his love for Sandy, his slave, a gift from his daddy. Sandy assumes the role of mistress of Covenant Plantation and is treated as if she is more than his slave. Their love for each other is strong and resilient. But when Seth Junior tells Sandy he is marrying a woman who can provide a proper male heir, she explodes. What is their son, if not an heir? What will become of her? This is the impetus, along with the War, that forces Seth Junior and Sandy to face a new world. In this compelling historical novel Seth Hunter Junior and his slave, Sandy, learn the limits to their humanity and the power of a new nation’s will.

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 2011

About the author

Dr. Clifford D. Harper is a respected theatrical executive producer and playwright. His written works include Curse and Neva's Tale. Neva's Tale was produced by Theresa Larkin, directed by Ted Lange, and earned actor Larry Gammell Jr. an NAACP Award and another from L.A. Weekly in 1993 for his supporting role.
A retired Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance at California State University, Los Angeles, Dr. Harper served as the Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts where he established the "Theatre of the Twenty-First Century" and revived the Dance Kaleidoscope program in the LA community. During his tenure, he became the founding Executive Director of the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, where he developed the world-renowned Luckman Jazz Orchestra. Dr. Harper's commitment to the arts was instrumental in facilitating the art retrospective: "African American Artists in Los Angeles, A Survey, Exhibition, 1945-2003."
Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Dr. Harper taught for a year at Sangamon State University before moving on to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where he served as Chair of the Black Studies Program and Dean of General Academic Programs. Dr. Harper received an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, a Master's in Theatre and Speech and became one of the first African Americans to earn a PhD. in English from St. Louis University
Born and raised in a segregated neighborhood of East St. Louis, Illinois, Dr. Harper graduated and later returned to teach at his high school alma mater. Dr. Harper found this experience to be significant and rewarding. During this time, he discovered his passion for theater and found inspiration in his students, many of whom went on to have gratifying careers.
Dr. Harper's many accomplishments have included: working with the renowned Katherine Dunham, receiving a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship Award, earning one of the earliest Certificates in Black Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and starting a "Forgivable Loan" program for female PhD's at CSULA.
Clif and his lovely wife, Linda, have migrated north to the Oregon Coast, settling in the charming town of Gleneden Beach. Dr. Harper continues to write and is working on his next novel.