Beyond the Stone Eagle Gate

by Jane Ellen Freeman

In 1893, David, age fifteen and an orphan, strives to grow into manhood after escaping a brutal indentureship. When he is hired at a grist mill in a small Tennessee town, life looks promising—until someone puts the empty cash box by his bed. He flees. He won’t be tied, locked up. Never again. He runs through a thick forest and stumbles onto an old road. A creaking gate startles him in the darkness. Two stone eagles carved of white marble perch on high pillars. He shivers, the eagles familiar as in a dream. At the end of the cobbled drive, moonlight frames a mist-shrouded mansion. Desperate and exhausted, he breaks in and discovers an astonishing library. Furniture, covered and spectral, crowds the room’s center and bookshelves soar into dark shadows. Cold and in pain, David sinks into the warmth of a cushioned chair. As he sleeps, he does not see a shimmering light drifting down a curved, iron staircase. The light approaches, hovers, and as David stirs, disappears. Has he been lured into a trap or a refuge?

322 pages, Paperback

Published September 20, 2019

Reviews

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! I lost myself in the story, rooting for the main characters and watching for hints that everything might work out alright for them. I'm no historian, but the details lend the book authenticity, like the extra steps people had to take when horse travel was the norm, or the way they prepared food or got information. I also liked the fact that many supporting characters demonstrated decency in diverse ways, which inspired me to be like them. Avid readers may say this is not a modern novel because it isn't edgy or obscure, and the point of view is NOT 1st person from different characters. However, I like a straightforward story too, and I would like to read many more like this.