Silent We Stood

by Henry Chappell

On July 8, 1860, Dallas, Texas burned. Three slaves were accused of arson and hanged without a trial. Today, most historians attribute the fire to carelessness. Texas was the darkest corner of the Old South, too remote and violent for even the bravest abolitionists. Yet North Texas newspapers commonly reported runaway slaves, and travelers in South Texas wrote of fugitives heading to Mexico. Perhaps a few prominent people were all too happy to call the fire an accident. Silent We Stood weaves the tale of a small band of abolitionists working in secrecy within Dallas’s close-knit society. There’s Joseph Shaw, an undertaker and underground railroad veteran with a shameful secret; Ig Bodeker, a charismatic, melancholic preacher; Rachel Bodeker, a fierce abolitionist, Ig’s wife, and Joseph Shaw’s lover; Rebekah, a freed slave who’ll sacrifice everything for the cause; Samuel Smith, a crypto-freedman whose love for Rebekah exacts a terrible cost; and, towering above them all, a near-mythical one-armed runaway who haunts area slavers and brings hope to those dreaming of freedom. With war looming and lives hanging in the balance, ideals must be weighed against friendship and love, and brutal decisions yield secrets that must be taken to the grave.

Genres: Historical Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2013

Reviews

[Laura Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is historical fiction based upon an event that occurred in Dallas in 1860. It brings up the ideas of what it might have been like to be abolitionists in Texas without a solid abolitionist community for support and having to set up routes on your own not knowing who to trust. What constitutes standing firm in your convictions? Where is the balance between action and caution and what is the cost to you...to the ones you're trying to help?

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I began reading this book, I clearly understood why it won such a prestigious award. Author Henry Chappell has taken historical fact and weaved it into a fictionalized storyline that grips from first page to last. What makes this book special is not only the fascinating historical details, but how the characters are so real, so compelling, so believable! What a wonderful way to learn about this tumultuous era in Amercan history. It is an honest, intense, and vivid depiction of life as it was for slaves and slave holders before the civil war. I definitely recommend this book to everyone! It won the award for very good reason.

[Mary Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read many books that center around slavery in Texas, especially North Texas. This book offers a compelling back story and possible explanation for the fire that destroyed the square of downtown Dallas in 1860. It is a very interesting look at the workings of abolitionists, runaway slaves, and an Underground Railroad system leading both north and south from Dallas.

[Larry Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think of this book. On the one hand, it was something of a slog -- but I blame myself for that. Also, after I put it down for the night, I kept thinking about it. I'm glad I read it, but I'm glad that I finished it. I never want to live in or near Dallas again.