Stevie‘s review of Freedom to Love by Susanna Fraser
Multicultural Historical Romance published by Carina Press 05 Jan 15
Compared to all the historical romances about Americans in Britain – or indeed in Europe in general – there are remarkably few about Brits in the US. Likewise, there aren’t as many multicultural historical romances out there as I’d like. So, obviously I snapped this one up, and it pretty much satisfied my needs on all counts.
Henry is fighting with the British Army in the southern states of the US during the lull in the wars in Europe following Napoleon’s first capture. When he is injured and left for dead, he mistakenly wanders away from the rest of his battalion and comes upon two women digging up a hoard of pirate treasure left to them by their father. Thérèse and her younger half-sister realise that Henry is injured more seriously than he’s letting on and take him in. However, other relatives arrive to claim their share of the estate, and when the women come under threat, Henry rescues them in turn.
Thérèse is the daughter of a free mixed-race woman, while her sister was born into slavery, and it’s Thérèse’s intention to buy her sister’s freedom and then for the pair of them to make lives for themselves in their chosen professions – Thérèse as a seamstress and her sister as a healer – but now they – and Henry – are wanted for murder. It seems unlikely, given their respective positions in US society, that they’ll be able to prove Henry acted in self-defence. They flee in search of a place where Henry might meet up with the British Army: then he can prove that he didn’t intentionally desert and claim sanctuary for the women as well.
After a series of adventures, the trio reach first Canada – partly via the underground network helping slaves to escape – and then head for England. However, on arrival in London, they find that Henry’s family situation has drastically altered – and even with the war over, their hoped-for quiet life together seems unlikely and they all have to adapt to new circumstances and Henry’s changed position in society.
This story works really well for me – Henry has been declared dead, and there are very real consequences for other people when he returns, some of which relate to the misconception that Henry is unsuited to a life outside the army, since he struggles with reading and writing. Henry’s family aren’t all immediately accepting of either Thérèse or her sister – Thérèse could pass as white but doesn’t want to, and she doesn’t want her sister to be treated as a glorified servant now that she’s free, either. I like that mention is made of black soldiers serving in the British Army at the time, although I would have liked to see mention also of other mixed-race women living with, or as part of, wealthy, upper-class families.
All in all a lovely story, but I wish we could have spent more time with the characters and maybe met a few more of Henry’s friends and relations.
Grade: B
Summary:
Louisiana, 1815
Thérèse Bondurant trusted her parents to provide for her and her young half-sister, though they never wed due to laws against mixed-race marriage. But when both die of a fever, Thérèse learns her only inheritance is debt—and her father’s promise that somewhere on his plantation lies a buried treasure. To save her own life—as well as that of her sister—she’ll need to find it before her white cousins take possession of the land.
British officer Henry Farlow, dazed from a wound received in battle outside New Orleans, stumbles onto Thérèse’s property out of necessity. But he stays because he’s become captivated by her intelligence and beauty. It’s thanks to Thérèse’s tender care that he regains his strength just in time to fend off her cousin, inadvertently killing the would-be rapist in the process.
Though he risks being labeled a deserter, it’s much more than a sense of duty that compels Henry to see the sisters to safety—far away from the scene of the crime. And Thérèse realizes she has come to rely on Henry for so much more than protection. On their journey to freedom in England, they must navigate a territory that’s just as foreign to them both—love.
Read an excerpt.
