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Early Reviews:
"I had to read this all in one go - couldn't put down - I became emotionally involved from page one right to the end." --NetGalley
"I do not know about other readers but I felt like I was living Ruth and Adam’s story." --NetGalley
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Author's Notes I hope you enjoyed Wycliff’s and Ruth’s story. This was intense for me to write, and I felt Ruth’s hurt and fire throughout the crafting of it. It is my hope not to shock or glorify the bad but to show hope in dire situations. I’ve taken great care with the themes of passing and a woman’s need to be believed. Every woman may not be afforded legal justice, but she needs to be believed. If she is brave enough to tell her truth, she needs to be valued. I hope Ruth’s journey brings comfort. No matter the testing in your life, know that you are gold, too. (Job 23:10) *** Mulattoes and Blackamoors During the Regency Mulattoes and Blackamoors numbered between 10,000-20,000 in London and throughout England during the time of Jane Austen. Wealthy British with children born to native West Indies women, brought them to London for schooling. Jane Austen, a contemporary writer of her times, in her novel, Sanditon, writes of Miss Lambe, a mulatto, the wealthiest woman. Her wealth made her desirable to the ton. Mulatto and Blackamoor children were often told to pass to achieve elevated positions within Society. Letters of Dorothea Thomas, one of the wealthiest, mulatto women from the island of Demerara, guided me, offering in detail her desire for her children to pass to further their education and careers. *** Regency Attitudes on Ravishment Ravishment (Rape) was a punishable crime if a person was convicted. However, convictions were rare. Evidence, such as respectable eyewitnesses, was needed as proof of the crime. Women, because of the shame they endured by the violation, the shame they believed was brought to their families, and the expense of paying for prosecution, often did not seek justice. The conviction of William Hodgson in 1811 was one of the first of its kind because the judge did not allow the defense to ask about the victim’s previous acts of sexuality or her work history. Harriet Halliday’s clear evidence were multiple witnesses who’d heard her scream. A local surgeon who rescued Halliday financed the prosecution. *** Debtors’ Prison Debtors’ prison was a form of punishment for men and women who could not pay their debts. Owing as little as £100 could have one thrown into one of the London prisons: Fleet (closed 1842); Faringdon (closed 1846); King's Bench (closed 1880); Whitecross Street (closed 1870); and Marshalsea (closed 1842). Insolvent debtors could be imprisoned indefinitely until all debts were paid. Debtor’s families were expected to pay to get them released, but Wycliff being the only solvent relation was not going to pay. Marshall-sea was the worst of the debtors’ prisons with the worst conditions. *** Fournier Street Fournier Street is part of Spitalfields, London, developed by the French Huguenot immigrants dating from around 1720. The townhouses here were large but fell into disrepair and out of favor. I imagine by 1800s, they could be accessible to lease or purchase by parts of the Blackamoor and mulatto communities of London, which had grown in wealth but could not purchase in areas like Cheapside or Mayfair. *** The Luck of Job Job is a just man in the Old Testament who, in a short period of time, loses everything he values—his family, his wealth, and his health. His suffering is so bad he curses the day he was born. He sees his life in terms of light and darkness. Job has friends who try to equate his problems in terms of a secret sin or something he’s done to cause this judgement. Job does maintain that his Redeemer will vouch for him and find him blameless. He does not lose his faith because of his suffering. Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. *** The Curse of Ham Ham was the son of Noah who looked at his father’s nakedness and gossiped about it. Noah cursed his descendants, the Canaanites. Religious factions have twisted this curse to support the oppression of black or dark skin people as well slavery. # The Bride Sculpture The Bride Sculpture is modeled after The Abduction of the Sabine Women of 1583. The Latin translates the name to be The Rape of the Sabine Woman. It is sculpted out of a single block of marble. It is based on Roman mythology. Romulus and his men sought wives but the Sabine tribe refused them. The Romans staged a festival, invited the Sabine tribe. The men then snatched Sabine women for brides. # Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional name for Santa Claus. He is a part of English folklore and is first mentioned in the 15 century. # HMS Liverpool The HMS Liverpool is a frigate build in 1813 by Wigram, Wells & Green. It was commissioned in May 1813, launched February 2014, decommissioned for the last time in January 1822. # Fournier Street Fournier Street is part of Spitalfields, London, developed by the French Huguenot immigrants dating from around 1720. The townhouses here were large but fell into disrepair and out of favor. I imagine by 1800s, they could be assessable to lease or purchase by parts of the Blackamoor and mulatto communities of London, which had grown in wealth but could not purchase in areas like Cheapside or Mayfair. # Platonic Relationship This is a term coined in 1630s based on Plato’s writings in the Symposium and means free of sensual desires. # The Odyssey The Odyssey and the Iliad are epic Greek poems written by Homer. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus after the ten-year Trojan War. Odysseus does not return home for ten years to his faithful wife, Penelope resisting 108 suitors who want to marry her and gain Penelope’s wealth. # Diamonds Diamonds have been discovered as early as 4th century BC. For the Regency world the majority of these gems are found in India and China commonly transported down the Silk Road. # Phillis Wheatley Wycliff’s mother is styled after the poet, Phillis Wheatley. Wheatley by age seventeen has become known for her poems. Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), was a Boston slave freed by her owners so that she could continue her work. # Agoraphobia Agoraphobia is a type of disorder in which a person fears open or closed places. The anxiety illness was first described in a scientific paper and named by Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal in 1871. Symptoms can include disproportionate reactions to stimulus such as going outside, noises, closed spaces. Physical responses are rapid heartbeats, troubled breathing sweats, nausea, dizziness. Therapies can include, medication, incremental exposure treatments.