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Beneath The Same Sky
Imagine you’re an escaped slave, hiding deep in The Dismal Swamp. A place so perilous slave catchers won’t follow you. Your former master, Brooks Bigsby, dares to enter, the fire of purpose in his eyes. Surprisingly he pleads for your help to complete a righteous task. What will you do? Run? Fight? Or—against all odds—join forces with him?
Dan, a fugitive for years, is stunned when Bigsby approaches not to punish, but to ask for help on a noble quest. What unfolds is an unlikely alliance that journeys from the heart of nineteenth-century Virginia through some of the most treacherous terrain on Earth.
Accompanied by Jonah, their friend and Native guide, this trio must confront nature, each other, and the legacy of a brutal past. Their story is one of survival, redemption, and reckoning—a tale that sheds light on history while echoing into our present and commenting on our future.
Dan, a fugitive for years, is stunned when Bigsby approaches not to punish, but to ask for help on a noble quest. What unfolds is an unlikely alliance that journeys from the heart of nineteenth-century Virginia through some of the most treacherous terrain on Earth.
Accompanied by Jonah, their friend and Native guide, this trio must confront nature, each other, and the legacy of a brutal past. Their story is one of survival, redemption, and reckoning—a tale that sheds light on history while echoing into our present and commenting on our future.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2026
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March 1, 2026
Word must be spread of this truly unforgettable and fascinating tale! I’ve long been a fan of Joe Di Bari’s fiction, but this novel is now my absolute favorite. The premise is unique: a Virginia slaveholder in 1837 does an about-face and frees all the slaves working on his plantation. After realizing he can no longer live there safely, Brooks Bigsby flees to New York with a small group, including his daughter, a couple former slaves, and a Native American friend. Bigsby becomes an abolitionist who works for the Underground Railroad. It’s there he meets Connie who will help him take the freed slaves to “the promise land” of Canada.
Bigsby is portrayed as truly compassionate and good. Di Bari does a remarkable job writing credibly, not only about his protagonist, but a large cast of characters. Not always an easy task for a novelist. Frequent dialogues are witty and credible, as well. Bigsby’s daughters, Lorelei and Jane, are complex and well-written. Of note, too, is his romantic relationship with Connie, as well as his friendship with Dan, one of his former slaves. The author shows through his lively storytelling the need for equality between the races—and the important lesson about how we all live ‘beneath the same sky.’ That lesson, which, sadly, is still one needing to be learned. I highly recommend this page-turner!!
Bigsby is portrayed as truly compassionate and good. Di Bari does a remarkable job writing credibly, not only about his protagonist, but a large cast of characters. Not always an easy task for a novelist. Frequent dialogues are witty and credible, as well. Bigsby’s daughters, Lorelei and Jane, are complex and well-written. Of note, too, is his romantic relationship with Connie, as well as his friendship with Dan, one of his former slaves. The author shows through his lively storytelling the need for equality between the races—and the important lesson about how we all live ‘beneath the same sky.’ That lesson, which, sadly, is still one needing to be learned. I highly recommend this page-turner!!
Displaying 1 of 1 review