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The Low Country #1
Charleston's Daughter
A Charleston belle with slavery on her conscience. A slave with rebellion in her heart. In South Carolina in 1858, no friendship could be more dangerous.
Caro Jarvie’s father, who owns her, loves her and educates her. He raises her for a life she can never have—as a wealthy planter’s daughter. When he dies, he can’t protect her, and she is cast back into slavery. But she can’t forget her father’s promise. As she grieves for him, she yearns for freedom.
Emily Jarvie, daughter of a wealthy planter, is content with slavery—until she inherits a slave cousin in Caro. Her conscience goads her into an act of charity. She gives Caro a shawl. She is shocked—and transformed—when Caro has the audacity to ask her for a book instead.
Unlikely cousins, unlikely friends, Emily and Caro become unlikely allies as Caro glimpses a path to freedom and Emily begins to question slavery itself.
As South Carolina hurtles toward secession, will their bond destroy their lives—or set them both free?
Charleston’s Daughter is the first book in the historical Low Country series, featuring strong heroines, defiant choices, and a thrilling moment in American history.
Discover this book today!
472 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2019
1374 people are currently reading
690 people want to read
About the author
Sabra Waldfogel
18 books149 followersSabra Waldfogel grew up far from the South in Minneapolis. She studied history at Harvard University and received her Ph.D. in American History from the University of Minnesota and since then, has been fascinated by the drama of slavery and freedom in the decades before and after the Civil War.
Her short story “Yemaya” appeared in the Winter 2013 Fiction Issue of Sixfold. Her first novel, Sister of Mine, published by Lake Union, was named the 2017 winner of the Audiobook Publisher's Association Audie Award for fiction. In her free time, not tired of history, she collects antiques and helps her husband sell them.
Her short story “Yemaya” appeared in the Winter 2013 Fiction Issue of Sixfold. Her first novel, Sister of Mine, published by Lake Union, was named the 2017 winner of the Audiobook Publisher's Association Audie Award for fiction. In her free time, not tired of history, she collects antiques and helps her husband sell them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
October 18, 2019
4.5 stars
I laughed, I cried, I got angry as hell. No matter how many books I read about the antebellum South I never get by without feeling the anger. The story was exciting with a wonderful assortment of well drawn characters and truly transported me to Charleston SC, 1960's. Good read.
I laughed, I cried, I got angry as hell. No matter how many books I read about the antebellum South I never get by without feeling the anger. The story was exciting with a wonderful assortment of well drawn characters and truly transported me to Charleston SC, 1960's. Good read.
October 15, 2019
This is a long story, but its very fast paced. I could tell the author did a lot of research. The characters were very well written and I could visualize the story. I can't wait to read the book 2.
August 8, 2020
I wanted to read more, but
The plot has it's strengths, but the weakness is in the presentation. There are to many scene changes the come up out of nowhere and lists of events, instead of events that are connected to each other. And there is no genuine since on time, I don't recall it ever being written after a page break. This could have been 6 months or 3 years. I do really like the main characters though, so much so that I worried about their fates. But, I really just wish it had more detail and smoother transitions that would make this an overall 3 because the story itself is really interesting.
The plot has it's strengths, but the weakness is in the presentation. There are to many scene changes the come up out of nowhere and lists of events, instead of events that are connected to each other. And there is no genuine since on time, I don't recall it ever being written after a page break. This could have been 6 months or 3 years. I do really like the main characters though, so much so that I worried about their fates. But, I really just wish it had more detail and smoother transitions that would make this an overall 3 because the story itself is really interesting.
August 6, 2019
Charleston’s Daughter: The Low Country Series Book 1 is written by Sabra Walfogle. This book is set in Charleston from 1858-1860. This is the story of slavery, flight, and family. The book is well-written with very realistic situations and characters. The descriptions of what slavery was like in Charleston during this time period seems to be well-researched. The author has managed to take every day occurrences at this time and bring them to life so you feel as if you are there watching it unfold. The book is so compelling that it keeps you reading to find out what happens.
Miss Caroline Jarvie was the only daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. James Jarvie had come to live on St. Helena Island and grieve after the death of his wife. Here he lived the life of a rich man. His wife and daughter were the lights of his life and he splurged on whatever they wanted. The only thing he couldn’t give them, was the freedom to go anywhere and meet anyone. Although both were light skinned, they were both slaves. As long as they were on the plantation, they lived the gentile life of a white person. Caroline never thought of herself as black nor as a slave. Her father doted on her and even taught her to read and gave her the education of a young man rather than a young woman. Because of the situation in South Carolina at the time, he was unable to free them. Instead, all he could do was write his intention in his will and hope his will would be honored. Unfortunately, he died after a bout with yellow fever leaving Caroline and her Mother in limbo until his brother decided what to do. James and his brother had not spoken for years and they were definitely not alike. Suddenly Caroline and her Mother find themselves slaves to James’ brother, Lawrence and his wife Susan.
Susan was Lawrence’s second wife. She was a good stepmother to his daughter Emily. However, Susan was definitely in favor of slavery and was very strict with her slaves. However, she did not want Caroline and her Mother anywhere near her. Lawrence’s sister, Mary, had a house in Charleston too. She traveled and her slave, Sophie, took care of her place. Lawrence sent Caroline and her Mother to live in a hovel there with only the ragged clothes on their backs. They were unable to take anything with them from their previous life. Their daughter, Emily, who was grieving over the loss of her fiancé and now her uncle, was much more sympathetic to them; but she was unable to do anything to help them at that time. Maybe later she could help them a little.
How Caroline and her Mother adapt to their new life and how Emily finds a way to come into their lives and get to know them shows how resourceful the girls are. As the girls fall in love and as the atmosphere in Charleston grown more hostile to slaves, the girls have to find a way to get what their hearts desire or what they think they want.
Miss Caroline Jarvie was the only daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. James Jarvie had come to live on St. Helena Island and grieve after the death of his wife. Here he lived the life of a rich man. His wife and daughter were the lights of his life and he splurged on whatever they wanted. The only thing he couldn’t give them, was the freedom to go anywhere and meet anyone. Although both were light skinned, they were both slaves. As long as they were on the plantation, they lived the gentile life of a white person. Caroline never thought of herself as black nor as a slave. Her father doted on her and even taught her to read and gave her the education of a young man rather than a young woman. Because of the situation in South Carolina at the time, he was unable to free them. Instead, all he could do was write his intention in his will and hope his will would be honored. Unfortunately, he died after a bout with yellow fever leaving Caroline and her Mother in limbo until his brother decided what to do. James and his brother had not spoken for years and they were definitely not alike. Suddenly Caroline and her Mother find themselves slaves to James’ brother, Lawrence and his wife Susan.
Susan was Lawrence’s second wife. She was a good stepmother to his daughter Emily. However, Susan was definitely in favor of slavery and was very strict with her slaves. However, she did not want Caroline and her Mother anywhere near her. Lawrence’s sister, Mary, had a house in Charleston too. She traveled and her slave, Sophie, took care of her place. Lawrence sent Caroline and her Mother to live in a hovel there with only the ragged clothes on their backs. They were unable to take anything with them from their previous life. Their daughter, Emily, who was grieving over the loss of her fiancé and now her uncle, was much more sympathetic to them; but she was unable to do anything to help them at that time. Maybe later she could help them a little.
How Caroline and her Mother adapt to their new life and how Emily finds a way to come into their lives and get to know them shows how resourceful the girls are. As the girls fall in love and as the atmosphere in Charleston grown more hostile to slaves, the girls have to find a way to get what their hearts desire or what they think they want.
November 8, 2019
I enjoy stories that take place around the time of the Civil War. “Charleston’s Daughter” by Sabra Waldfogel takes place just before the start of the war. All of Charlston’s residents are wary of all Negroes, both slave and free. They have specific laws regarding what they can do and where they can go. There is also the unwritten code of conduct between master and slave.
In Ms. Waldfogel’s book, we are given a look at how some plantation owners take slaves as their mistresses and have children with them who are brought up right along with the children of their white wives. In this novel James Jarvie, a plantation owner, has taken a beautiful slave as his wife and has a daughter by her. Of course, he cannot be seen in Charlston society with her and secretes his family on St. Helena Island, away from everyone else. They live as husband, wife and daughter in the grand manner of the times. Her father teaches Caroline to read and she is conversant with the works of Cicero and Cato. All is well and they are reasonably happy, although excluded from others.
Their lives are irrevocably changed after James dies of yellow fever and his brother is named in his will as inheriting everything, even Catherine and Caroline. James intended that his brother treat his wife and daughter with the same love and consideration that he had. However, this is not the case. Both Catherine and Caroline are made to live as the lowliest slave. All of their clothing, books, jewelry and their very freedom are gone.
I read this book with tears in my eyes that a group of people could be so horribly treated as the freedmen and slaves during this time in America’s history. Their animals were treated with more consideration than they. I’m sure that this story could definitely have happened this way. What a story this was! I hope Ms. Waldfogel writes more in this genre. I would love to read more of this way of life.
You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-zl. Reviews of other books can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.
In Ms. Waldfogel’s book, we are given a look at how some plantation owners take slaves as their mistresses and have children with them who are brought up right along with the children of their white wives. In this novel James Jarvie, a plantation owner, has taken a beautiful slave as his wife and has a daughter by her. Of course, he cannot be seen in Charlston society with her and secretes his family on St. Helena Island, away from everyone else. They live as husband, wife and daughter in the grand manner of the times. Her father teaches Caroline to read and she is conversant with the works of Cicero and Cato. All is well and they are reasonably happy, although excluded from others.
Their lives are irrevocably changed after James dies of yellow fever and his brother is named in his will as inheriting everything, even Catherine and Caroline. James intended that his brother treat his wife and daughter with the same love and consideration that he had. However, this is not the case. Both Catherine and Caroline are made to live as the lowliest slave. All of their clothing, books, jewelry and their very freedom are gone.
I read this book with tears in my eyes that a group of people could be so horribly treated as the freedmen and slaves during this time in America’s history. Their animals were treated with more consideration than they. I’m sure that this story could definitely have happened this way. What a story this was! I hope Ms. Waldfogel writes more in this genre. I would love to read more of this way of life.
You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-zl. Reviews of other books can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.
September 6, 2020
As a Charleston native I couldn't wait to listen to this book. This book starts off with us meeting Carol who is the daughter of wealthy planter but also a slave. Carol has been raised her whole life different from most slaves as her dad made sure she could read and she lives life like a normal free person until the day it all changes for her. Carol meets Emily when her dad dies and her uncle takes over the family home and she is reverted back to being the slave she always was. Carol and Emily form a odd relationship that I really enjoyed. I feel like the narrator for this one did an incredible job as she did well with picking up the Charleston accents and making the characters believable. I loved hearing all about the town I grew up in and seeing how it was back during this time.
As Carol and Emily continue through life they will both make some major decisions that will entwine them to each other in ways I didn't see coming. I loved seeing both ladies grow and really come into their own as people. They were both so much alike but in ways so different but yet so strong. I loved this book because the author didn't shy away from the subject of slavery and really did a good h=job of depicting what times were like for slaves and free people. She showed it for what it was and I loved that about it. I cant wait to read both 2 to see what happens next for Carol and Emily.
Thanks to Tantor Audio for this audiobook for review.
As Carol and Emily continue through life they will both make some major decisions that will entwine them to each other in ways I didn't see coming. I loved seeing both ladies grow and really come into their own as people. They were both so much alike but in ways so different but yet so strong. I loved this book because the author didn't shy away from the subject of slavery and really did a good h=job of depicting what times were like for slaves and free people. She showed it for what it was and I loved that about it. I cant wait to read both 2 to see what happens next for Carol and Emily.
Thanks to Tantor Audio for this audiobook for review.
May 22, 2024
Not much to expand upon. Pretty good tale, and the period and setting were fairly well understood, including the affectations of speech. The thing that stuck with me more than anything is how people could call themselves Christians and act so kindly and normally to each other and then treat people who worked so hard for them so horrifically and be able to somehow justify that to themselves. I know not all slave owners treated their slaves horribly, but the fact that even the ones who weren't downright cruel could justify the institution as somehow right and just and call themselves gentlemen and women is one of the more remarkable things about the period. And it seemed very obvious they almost resented the ones related to them by blood even more. It was like by their mere existence they subconsciously had to acknowledge that we're all the same and there but for the grace of God go I, and they hated to have to acknowledge that. The saying how can you look at yourselves in the mirror comes to mind, and you find yourself thinking there must not have been enough mirrors around in the South at the time. I think in the end it was fear, at least in part, that drove them and their horrific actions were a result of the fear of the consequences of those very same actions. Like every dictatorial regime ever has ultimately discovered, you should fear a people you oppress, and the worse you oppress them the more you have to ultimately fear.
May 28, 2019
Excellent, very informative!
I am a descendant slaves and so do not like to read books on the subject very often. It is rather disconcerting to know that had I lived in those days, I would have been a slave, seen as less than human and without worth beyond servitude. This book, however, was very informative and I am glad I read it! Before, I did not know there were slaves able, with their master's permission, to hire out themselves. I also knew little of the antebellum South and free people of colour, beyond those who were kept as mistresses. This book offers a glimpse into their illusion of freedom and equality --how they thought and felt, how they dealt with change and the inescapable reality of blackness in spite of light skin tone or preferential treatment. We also see the other side, whites who believed in slavery, as well as those who came to oppose it. It is an interesting, sobering, thought-provoking story with priceless take-away value.
I am a descendant slaves and so do not like to read books on the subject very often. It is rather disconcerting to know that had I lived in those days, I would have been a slave, seen as less than human and without worth beyond servitude. This book, however, was very informative and I am glad I read it! Before, I did not know there were slaves able, with their master's permission, to hire out themselves. I also knew little of the antebellum South and free people of colour, beyond those who were kept as mistresses. This book offers a glimpse into their illusion of freedom and equality --how they thought and felt, how they dealt with change and the inescapable reality of blackness in spite of light skin tone or preferential treatment. We also see the other side, whites who believed in slavery, as well as those who came to oppose it. It is an interesting, sobering, thought-provoking story with priceless take-away value.
November 11, 2020
Can love unlock the chains of slavery?
Kitty Jarvie and her daughter Caroline were living a wonderful life in the antebellum South. Kitty, a black woman, is the lady of the house and wife to the owner, who is a prominent white gentleman. Together, they have a daughter, Caroline, who is raised as a well-educated young lady. But when her father dies, Caro and her mother are thrown into a whole new world when they are forced to become slaves. Their lives will never be the same again as they struggle to accept their fate. Who can they trust? Will anyone help them? Even family has turned their back on them, but maybe Emily, Caro's white cousin, will be the one. Emily is facing her own problems, forced to deny her only love and marry a man she doesn't want. Together, Emily and Caro find their love and friendship for each other is stronger than the color of their skin as they fight for what's right.
Kitty Jarvie and her daughter Caroline were living a wonderful life in the antebellum South. Kitty, a black woman, is the lady of the house and wife to the owner, who is a prominent white gentleman. Together, they have a daughter, Caroline, who is raised as a well-educated young lady. But when her father dies, Caro and her mother are thrown into a whole new world when they are forced to become slaves. Their lives will never be the same again as they struggle to accept their fate. Who can they trust? Will anyone help them? Even family has turned their back on them, but maybe Emily, Caro's white cousin, will be the one. Emily is facing her own problems, forced to deny her only love and marry a man she doesn't want. Together, Emily and Caro find their love and friendship for each other is stronger than the color of their skin as they fight for what's right.
October 1, 2022
Jean38no
Love this book. There’s not a lot of novels about the free slaves in Charleston. I didn’t realize there was so many and they had their own society. Theirs was pretty much like the Whites of their times. I didn’t know they were able to ply their trade and some that weren’t free were able to work outside of the home just as if they were free!
The author takes you on a spell binding journey of Caro and Emily . They were cousins one was White and one was Black. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Love this book. There’s not a lot of novels about the free slaves in Charleston. I didn’t realize there was so many and they had their own society. Theirs was pretty much like the Whites of their times. I didn’t know they were able to ply their trade and some that weren’t free were able to work outside of the home just as if they were free!
The author takes you on a spell binding journey of Caro and Emily . They were cousins one was White and one was Black. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 17, 2019
Excellent!
This is a well researched story of the trials of blacks in pre-Civil War Charleston. The author explores the complicated relationships of slaves, free people of color, and slave owners- all sometimes related to one another. For free people of color, freedom was an illusion in 1860. In this story, cousins find a way to escape the prisons each were condemned to as a result of that " peculiar institution. " It was an educational and satisfying read!
This is a well researched story of the trials of blacks in pre-Civil War Charleston. The author explores the complicated relationships of slaves, free people of color, and slave owners- all sometimes related to one another. For free people of color, freedom was an illusion in 1860. In this story, cousins find a way to escape the prisons each were condemned to as a result of that " peculiar institution. " It was an educational and satisfying read!
January 19, 2025
wonderful exciting to read. I can’t put this series down.
I’m not getting anything done! I can’t put this series down. You will get totally involved in these families and friends. If you feel empathy for others pain you will certainly feel it now. I’m also learning a lot , looking up more into this horrible horror that existed in a part of our country at one time. I’m so involved wondering what could I have done , what freedom fighter I could have been.
I’m not getting anything done! I can’t put this series down. You will get totally involved in these families and friends. If you feel empathy for others pain you will certainly feel it now. I’m also learning a lot , looking up more into this horrible horror that existed in a part of our country at one time. I’m so involved wondering what could I have done , what freedom fighter I could have been.
May 18, 2019
Five Star Review of Charleston's Daughter
Excellent. Love all of Santa Waldfogel's writings. A literary genius about the old South. I read everything she publishes. Look forward to the next book. Thank you.
Excellent. Love all of Santa Waldfogel's writings. A literary genius about the old South. I read everything she publishes. Look forward to the next book. Thank you.
August 5, 2019
It's 1858 and Caro Jarvie is living a great life for a black woman in 1858. She's a young woman who's father is white and loves her dearly and treats her like any other daughter of the South. He's happily married to Caro's mother, who is black and life is good, then he suddenly dies and her life will never be the same again. This is the premise of this wonderful book. Her cousin Emily Jarvie, a white woman of social standing moves into her house with her mother and father who feel slaves belong outside and they instantly kick Caro and her mother out, not allowing them to take anything that they own, even going so far as to make them strip off their clothes and change into the same clothes the slaves wear, and Caro's mother must remove the diamond earrings she received as a gift from her husband and give them to Emily's mom. This happens before her father is even buried. They are then moved to a shack on the plantation. Emily is shocked and knows this is wrong and her father is being mean and "Unchristian". Emily wants to be Caro's friend and treat her as the cousin she is, so she begins trying to help her out. One of the best things Emily does is give Caro a book, Caro loves to read and wasn't allowed to take any of her books when they were kicked out of the home. This starts both of them on a trail of friendship and trust. The characters were well written and came alive on the page for me. Every time I read a book that takes place during slavery I get mad and feel embarrassed for how the white people treated these poor black people. It is a scar on our history and nothing can make up for what was done to these poor people. The book had drama, suspense, a bit of romance and much heartbreak. This is the first in a series, but the rest of the series hasn't been written yet, so I look forward to the next book, as the ending left off at a great starting point for a new book. I hadn't heard of this book or it's author prior to picking this book on Kindle Unlimited. Those of you who follow my reviews know I love a good unheard of book and/or author. So full of the unknown and it doesn't have any expectations to live up to. This will satisfy those who love historical fiction or those with an interest in American history during slavery.
May 9, 2019
Caro Jarvie’s life changed from the moment her father died. Forced to accept the mercies set upon her and her mother via her uncle, she soon realizes they're not mercies at all. Determined to survive, she does everything possible to provide for herself and her mother. The prejudices that hound a slave follow her at every turn, however. If she's to succeed, she'll have to move past them, as well as the pain and heartache she encounters at every turn. Doing so, however, is harder than she thought.
Charleston's Daughter is such a unique story. It's told, for the most part, from Caro's point of view. Granted, we also catch glimpses of what life is like for her cousins and other family members. Life for all of these characters isn't easy. They have to contend with prejudices about slavery, life, as well as those that pertain to a woman's role in the scheme of things.
Sabra does a wonderful job in establishing the past that surrounds these characters. Set during a time where slavery was all everyone ever knew. People refused to see slaves for what they were, people who wanted nothing more than to live peaceful lives in a world so full of chaos and uncertainty.
In Charleston's Daughter, we're presented with a girl who's raised far away from that chaos. She becomes headstrong and decision, determined to push past the the adversities she encounters every step of the way. Caro may have a difficult life, but she refuses to settle for the cards she's been dealt. She knows happiness lies around the corner. She just have to remain strong in order to find it.
Her strength shows with every decision she makes. This is a character who wants nothing more than to set all wrongs to right no matter what comes her way. In a world full of uncertainty, it's possible to move past the barriers that surround us, a theme that's incorporated throughout every inch of the book.
Charleston's Daughter is such a unique story. It's told, for the most part, from Caro's point of view. Granted, we also catch glimpses of what life is like for her cousins and other family members. Life for all of these characters isn't easy. They have to contend with prejudices about slavery, life, as well as those that pertain to a woman's role in the scheme of things.
Sabra does a wonderful job in establishing the past that surrounds these characters. Set during a time where slavery was all everyone ever knew. People refused to see slaves for what they were, people who wanted nothing more than to live peaceful lives in a world so full of chaos and uncertainty.
In Charleston's Daughter, we're presented with a girl who's raised far away from that chaos. She becomes headstrong and decision, determined to push past the the adversities she encounters every step of the way. Caro may have a difficult life, but she refuses to settle for the cards she's been dealt. She knows happiness lies around the corner. She just have to remain strong in order to find it.
Her strength shows with every decision she makes. This is a character who wants nothing more than to set all wrongs to right no matter what comes her way. In a world full of uncertainty, it's possible to move past the barriers that surround us, a theme that's incorporated throughout every inch of the book.
August 27, 2019
This was my second novel by Sabra Waldfogel. I loved Sister of Mine, and this one did not disappoint. The complex, precarious situation of "free" people of color in the slaveholding South is too little written about. It's rarely been done this well and certainly not in a novel set specifically in Charleston. I love the city and devour such novels. I know a great deal about the real history. Ms. Waldfogel did her research, and her drama springs directly from truth. In this time and place, some people of color were technically enslaved but were able to live as if free--until a sudden change of circumstances, such as the death of a "master," plunged them into abject servitude. Others who were legally free could be deprived of their livelihoods and even threatened with enslavement at the whim of changing laws and influential white men. If you want a true and full picture of the antebellum South, read this book and don't miss the Historical Note.
October 9, 2024
I have read a few books by Sabra Waldfogel now and really appreciate the depth of her knowledge of events surrounding the American Civil War and the lives of black and white people throughout it.
Waldfogel again does a superb job in highlighting the struggles of the mixed race communities who often had more privileged experiences and education than their darker counterparts, but struggled to navigate it in the society they lived in. Her presentation of Caro and Kitty was interesting and it was frustrating at times to see that although Caro was raised with all the skills of a Southern lady, her ethnicity made it impossible to fully access. You can't help but feel that her parents didn't prepare her for reality outside her home upon her father's death.
Emily's friendship with Caro is heartwarming but the ending felt a little unrealistic. Surely a lot of privileged white women were in unhappy relationships or had to endure arranged marriages they didn't want but they got on with it because that was the status quo. Emily feels a too anachronistic for this era and I couldn't even get past the first pages of the follow up to this book, Union's Daughter because of it. This is a shame because overall I did enjoy Charleston's Daughter and would recommend it
March 8, 2022
I have always loved antebellum historical fiction and this was no exception. This is the third novel by this author that I have read. The first two were, in my opinion, considerably more detailed with great characterization. This novel, although well researched and well written did not invoke the same character empathy as the other novels. The treatment of the enslaved appears mean spirited but somewhat innocuous for the time period and then the novel ended abruptly. However, I do look forward to reading other works by this author in the future.
September 7, 2025
Another beautifully written book by Sabra. The subject is well researched, and the characters really stand out. Caroline and Emily are two feisty ladies who are determined to live their lives in their own way. The book deals really well with what must have been a really difficult time. Sabra talks about the indignity and horrors that women and slaves suffered at that time. Their lives were not their own. It is impossible not to get drawn into the story and feel the pain and suffering and also the anger that even today, these injustices still go on. Look forward to the next book.
February 23, 2020
I couldn't up this up until I finished!
A very insightful look into the days of slavery. A time when women of color were nothing but chattels. A man falls in love with his slave, takes her as his wife, even though the law does not recognize the marriage. They have a daughter who they raised and educated as a plantation owner's daughter. When he dies, life becomes horrible for them. This is a great book!
A very insightful look into the days of slavery. A time when women of color were nothing but chattels. A man falls in love with his slave, takes her as his wife, even though the law does not recognize the marriage. They have a daughter who they raised and educated as a plantation owner's daughter. When he dies, life becomes horrible for them. This is a great book!
February 24, 2020
Wonderfully written!! A must read!!
Wonderfully written!! To put into words the emotions that I felt while reading this novel will be next to impossible! This is so well written, I could not wait to pick it up each day. The way she wrote allowed me to travel back in time. I cannot wait until April when book 2 is released! I will be buying hard copies of both for my personal library! Thank you Santa Waldfogel!
Wonderfully written!! To put into words the emotions that I felt while reading this novel will be next to impossible! This is so well written, I could not wait to pick it up each day. The way she wrote allowed me to travel back in time. I cannot wait until April when book 2 is released! I will be buying hard copies of both for my personal library! Thank you Santa Waldfogel!
February 23, 2021
Not sure why I haven't discovered this author before. Author Sabra Waldfogel immediately transported me to 1860 Charleston and invested me in the lives of two very different women, both trapped in a life not of their choosing, victims of two types of prejudice. I was especially impressed by the juxtaposition of the themes of freedom and slavery.
Looking forward to continuing the saga with the second book of this series.
Looking forward to continuing the saga with the second book of this series.
December 6, 2022
This was an interesting book depicting life in the South during slavery. I am sure that situations as the one presented happened more frequently than not. I enjoy the history and liked the book a lot. I have an open mind and wish to hear all sides of most situations, knowing that everyone has an opinion and that not all opinions are correct. The struggles the main character went thru break my heart and I feel her story was so worth reading.
August 28, 2019
True Slave History
Excellent reading. I love to read books on America's slave history. Especially books like this one written by Sabra Waldfogel. Charleston's Daughter is so well researched and well written. I truly felt the emotions, happy and sad, of the characters.
I highly recommend this book and others by Ms. Waldfogel.
Thank you!
Excellent reading. I love to read books on America's slave history. Especially books like this one written by Sabra Waldfogel. Charleston's Daughter is so well researched and well written. I truly felt the emotions, happy and sad, of the characters.
I highly recommend this book and others by Ms. Waldfogel.
Thank you!
April 21, 2020
Great historical novel
This book was an easy read but packed with historical events which provided an interesting setting for the plot. The author has done her homework and I appreciated the advanced knowledge related concerning free people of color in the South during this time period. I will look for her books again.
This book was an easy read but packed with historical events which provided an interesting setting for the plot. The author has done her homework and I appreciated the advanced knowledge related concerning free people of color in the South during this time period. I will look for her books again.
April 30, 2020
I enjoyed reading about pre civil war Charleston and learning about the free people of color (FPC). I did feel that the character development could have been deeper as there were parts that were not as believable as I thought they could have been. I may pick up the second book in the series but I’ll give it some time.
January 25, 2022
Charleston's complicated history
The different status of people during the early1800s fascinated me in this story. While I knew about it, I didn't a good enough feel. The characters were well defined and following them took me into the times and their various status. Very engaging and great reading.
The different status of people during the early1800s fascinated me in this story. While I knew about it, I didn't a good enough feel. The characters were well defined and following them took me into the times and their various status. Very engaging and great reading.
February 1, 2023
An intense, historical fiction story that held my interest. White family relationships, slave family relationships, free persons of color family relationships and the very dangerous daily lives that intersected all of them in 1858 Charleston, leading up to the pivotal Harpers Ferry Hanging in Virginia.
A horrific time period in our country. Well worth your time to read it.
A horrific time period in our country. Well worth your time to read it.
May 24, 2019
A heartbreaking tale of slavery in the old south.
Brought up as a beloved daughter, life can be a drastically for Caroline. In the heart of her cousin a light is dawning, on the evils of slavery.. A can't put it down till you finish this book.
Brought up as a beloved daughter, life can be a drastically for Caroline. In the heart of her cousin a light is dawning, on the evils of slavery.. A can't put it down till you finish this book.
June 9, 2019
Enjoyed!
This story of Love and family was truly tested especially concerning the color line. Slave and free people of color have to endure hatred No matter the status, money or service they provide. Color defines you!
This story of Love and family was truly tested especially concerning the color line. Slave and free people of color have to endure hatred No matter the status, money or service they provide. Color defines you!
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