About this item
In her sweeping debut, Diane C. McPhail offers a powerful, profoundly emotional novel that explores a little-known aspect of Civil War history - Southern Abolitionists - and the timeless struggle to do right even amidst bitter conflict. On a Mississippi morning in 1859, Emily Matthews begs her father to save a slave, Nathan, about to be auctioned away from his family. Judge Matthews is an abolitionist who runs an illegal school for his slaves, hoping to eventually set them free. One, a woman named Ginny, has become Emily's companion and often her conscience - and understands all too well the hazards an educated slave must face. Yet even Ginny could not predict the tangled, tragic string of events set in motion as Nathan's family arrives at the Matthews farm. A young doctor, Charles Slate, tends to injured Nathan and begins to court Emily, finally persuading her to become his wife. But their union is disrupted by a fatal clash and a lie that will tear two families apart. As Civil War erupts, Emily, Ginny, and Emily's stoic mother-in-law, Adeline, each face devastating losses. Emily - sheltered all her life - is especially unprepared for the hardships to come. Struggling to survive in this raw, shifting new world, Emily will discover untapped inner strength, an unlikely love, and the courage to confront deep, painful truths. In the tradition of Cold Mountain, The Abolitionist's Daughter eschews stereotypes of the Civil War South, instead weaving an intricate and unforgettable story of survival, loyalty, hope, and redemption.
About the Author
Diane C. McPhail is an acclaimed artist as well as an award-winning author. Something of a perpetual student, she holds an M.F.A., an M.A., and a D.Min. Madeleine L"Engle, author of A Wrinkle In Time, her first writing teacher, convinced her that she was indeed a writer. Since then Diane has studied with a range of reknowned, highly awarded authors and is a regular repeat at Yale Writers' Workshop, among others. Diane is a member of the Historical Novel Society, at whose national conference she has presented, and the North Carolina Writers' Network. She appeared on LiveTalks LA with Jane Smiley, at the Mississippi Book Festival, and the National Women's Book Association Bibliofeast. A popular retreat leader and teacher, Diane keeps herself busy in Highlands, NC, with writing and painting, with her husband, Ray, and a fuzzy white dog called Pepper.
