The book opens with the passage of Honor Bright, a sheltered Quaker, to America to start a new life. This is not a journey for the faint-hearted, but it allowed us to empathise with Honor as a character set adrift from all that is familiar to her.
During the course of the journey Honor’s sister dies, and she is thrown on the mercy of her brother-in-law-to-be and his family. Honor quickly realises that if she is to survive in this new land she will have to adapt. She marries into a local family, but life is not quite as she hoped it would be.
Through Honor’s eyes we see the changes that are wrought upon groups of settlers, and we gain a clearer understanding of some of the issues surrounding life in 1850s America. When Honor encounters a runaway slave on her family’s farm, Honor’s principles are tested.
From the outset this was a book that raised questions. Having some prior knowledge of the Underground Railroad system that is referenced here I was gripped by this story. Loved it!