"The paths of three young Black women in pre-Civil War Philadelphia unexpectedly--and dangerously--collide in this dramatic debut novel inspired by the explosive history of a city at war with itself. Philadelphia, 1837. When nineteen-year-old Charlotte escaped from the deteriorating White Oaks plantation four years ago, she'd expected freedom to look completely different from her former life as an enslaved housemaid. Instead, she's locked away playing...

"Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857, when the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an argument between Brown and Henry's master quickly turns violent. Henry is forced to leave town--with Brown, who believes he's a girl. Over the ensuing months, Henry--whom Brown nicknames Little Onion--conceals his true identity as he...

"A sweeping tale of revolution and wonder in a world not quite like our own. It is the Age of Enlightenment -- of new and magical political movements, from the necromancer Robespierre calling for revolution in France to the weather mage Toussaint L'Ouverture leading the slaves of Haiti in their fight for freedom, to the bold new Prime Minister William Pitt weighing the legalization of magic amongst commoners in Britain and abolition throughout its...

In the summer of 1859, fifteen-year-old Annie travels to the Maryland farm where her father, John Brown, is secretly assembling his provisional army prior to their raid on the United States arsenal at nearby Harpers Ferry.

"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"--

In 1851 New Bedford, Massachusetts, fourteen-year-old Cape Verdean sailor Lucky Valera is kidnapped by his estranged half-brother and forced to work in a mill, but while Lucky is plotting his escape he meets a former slave and a young Quaker girl who influence his plans.

Charlie, having returned home alone after his father decided to stay in Lawrence, Kansas to help defend the town from pro-slave ruffians, must prove himself responsible when his family is threatened by a snow storm.

Marla surprised everyone at Wayfarers Inn when she announced her engagement, despite the red flags that her friend Janice sees. While clearing out the church belfry in anticipation of the wedding, Janice, Tess, and LuAnn find an old Bible from Marla's ancestor, famed abolitionist William Still. That night, a suspicious fire breaks out in the bell tower, leading the friends to ponder if someone was trying to spoil Marla's wedding plans or trying to...

While tension over slavery grows in Kansas Territory, causing the Underground Railroad to shut down, and Papa is away, hiding from a false arrest, Charlie and his family risk everything to hide a runaway slave girl in their cabin.