An excellent sequel to The Kitchen House, this time following Jamie. The setting is different, but many of the themes are the same: survival, gaining and losing trust, fear, hope, love. It can certainly be read as a standalone novel, but I would recommend reading The Kitchen House first to fully appreciate the characters who make re-appearances and to understand the gravity of their situations.

This book delivers a compelling story about the delicate topic of slavery and its many complexities in the early 1800s. The characters are diverse and have great depth - especially Jamie. I oscillated between rooting for him and shaking my fist at him throughout the book! Despite the difficult topic, I was pleasantly surprised by the cautious, yet upbeat tone at the conclusion of the novel. My heart was warmed!