Title: All We Were Promised
Author: Ashton Lattimore
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Charlotte and Nell are two black women in Philadelphia in 1837. They’re united in their cause for helping others win their freedom. Nell has the means to do so but her parents aren’t as supportive of her ‘radical’ ideas. Charlotte is a recent runaway with her father who’s hiding from their former master. Her father is posing as a white man who’s overprotective of his daughter. But then, Charlotte’s friend, Evie, and former slave at the same plantation appears at the local market. Their former master is in town and looking to get married again. Evie wants to escape and asks Charlotte for help. Charlotte accepts and asks Nell for help. Together they work to help Evie escape. Will their plan work? Will their master find out? And find Charlotte and her father? What will happen to everyone?
Rating: 3.8 – a different side of history
Opinion: This was a good book. I enjoyed learning about life in pre-civil war north. It was nice to hear from the free black people during that time. No one really talks about the fact that some black people back then could be rich and have influence. It was nice to learn about that part of history. I enjoyed learning about how northern cities worked during that time period. I liked that those cities had laws to make the run away slaves free after living there after a certain time. Though it was sad to learn how slave owners got around those laws. It was interesting, but not surprising, that certain things about society haven’t changed much. The characters were well written and relatable. This was a slow and steady read with lots of good details about life back then. I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.
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