Well done historical fiction. McPhail has created good characters you will root for. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a book filled with love, a struggle against hardship and betrayal, and the turmoil of a commitment to doing what is right amid much opposition and consternation. It is an emotional, gripping read that held me captivated right up until the end. Emily lives with her brothers and father, who is a slave owner in Mississippi but who believe that slaves should be free men and women however the law, as of yet will not allow that. There are many gruesome descriptions but life at that time was tough and blood and gore were part and parcel. The civil war era is fascinating and lead to such upheaval in Southern society and lifestyles that it grips me and enthrals me whenever I encounter a worth while text. This was an interesting take on the stories of the abolitionists, one that I considerably enjoyed. It might have been easier to follow however had there been slightly fewer characters and had those who featured most prominently been more distinctively recognisable. Some blended into others, an aspect which bothered me a little as I read. Regardless of those criticisms I enjoyed this story considerably.

It’s super depressing that I didn’t get the chance to download this book in time to read it 😭😭 but for some reason it wanted me to write a review.

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity, sadly because of me I didn’t get to read this!

An interesting debut novel, The Abolitionist's Daughter chronicles the life of Emily, the daughter of a Southern abolitionist judge. As he is unable, legally, to free his slaves, the judge often purchases slaves in order to save them from worse fates. As Emily ages, marries, and has children, her companion/slave, Ginny, is with her, acting as her guide, mother, and conscience.

While the subject matter is intriguing, I had a hard time mustering up sympathy for the main character. I found Emily mostly unlikable, which made it a difficult novel to read. I kept waiting for something major to happen, yet it just never pulled together for me. I chose it based the time period and the historical information was interesting, but the novel itself just didn't happen for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fantastic novel about a part of the Civil War we rarely hear about.

I felt the lush fields, the fine way of living that Emily experienced before the Civil War, her closeness with her father, brother Will, and slave, Ginny, who is more like a mother to Emily. As the war breaks out, we are led through the changes in Emily's life, and those she loves. We feel the dirt under our fingernails as Emily soon is working her land, we smell the blood shed between those she loves, we feel her pain of loss, and her resilience in Emily as she pushes on to care for her young children. Some of my favorite characters were the slaves. Spunky, hard-working, and tough.

I enjoy historical fiction and this novel did not disappoint. I'd love to know how many abolitionists "rescued" slaves as Emily's father did. Overall, this was a good story about the changes in the south during the pre-Civil War era, during the war, and the repercussions of the outcome.

The Abolitionist's Daughter immediately caught my eye when I saw it. It is a bit different than the usual historical book in the sense it's about Southern abolitionist.
The book starts out prior to the Civil War set in Mississippi.
Emily is a young woman living with her brothers and father. Her father believes his slaves should be free but is not allowed to set them free. The Civil War is a topic that has always fascinated me regardless if I'm reading fiction or nonfiction, I'll read it.
Well written and meticulously researched, The Abolitionist Daughter is a wonderful book and I suggest it for all historical fiction readers.

Published April 30th 2019 by A John Scognamiglio Book. Kensington Books
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I just loved this novel. Set during the Civil War, it tells the saga of one family and their trials and tribulations during this time. I really loved Emily's life and how she wanted to do things like her father. I was surprised that even though they were abolitionists, they owned slaves. I understand that it was against the law to free them, but I had no idea an abolitionist would actually own slaves.

Emily's story broke my heart. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history and of course a little bit of romance sprinkled in.

The Abolitionist's Daughter was a fabulous intro to Diane C McPhil's books for me. I loved it and give it five stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
While the book was not my cup of tea, I did appreciate how wonderfully it was written.
I wish I could have gotten into the story, but the story itself to me was boring and that was really because its not my usual genre. So while I couldn't focus on the story, the writing itself was wonderful and I wish I was able to get into it.

Emily Matthews, the only daughter of an abolitionist judge, has been sheltered her entire life. When a young doctor, Charles Slate, comes courting, she is delighted. Marriage, however, brings realizations she never expected, and as war threatens, Emily is forced to find a strength she didn't know she had within her.

When I began reading this, I thought there would be more about abolitionist at the time. We are told her father has raised her with the same convictions, that he has an illegal school to teach his slaves, but we never see it. And in her courtship of Charles, those convictions are not important enough for Emily to make sure the man shares them.

The main problem I had was that there seemed to be a lack of focus. There were so many characters, who would appear and then disappear, only to reappear later to confuse me. Had the story remained with Emily, Ginny, and Adeline, the story would have been stronger. I also felt like the feelings expressed had a very 2019 opinion behind them.

It was an easy read, even with the dark tones. Also, there were a couple of sex scenes, though not overly detailed.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes.

The author did a brilliant job of capturing the time period in this novel. The characters and plot were also well written. This was a great piece of historical fiction!

What a stunning debut novel this was! I appreciate the attention paid to detail. The writing was very descriptive and flowed beautifully, so that I felt part of the story. This era was such a tragical time in history and the author managed to portray that in her book.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

History makes a mockery of us.

Two families struggle in the Civil War era. Brought together by marriage and torn apart by the evils of war and slavery. Emily Matthews adores her father Judge Matthews as he is called. A man with firm convictions and a man who believed in the value of another. A single father for many years but thru the years he taught his children the evils of slavery and the moral economic of the south. As a man of the south and the law, he made sure his "slaves" were taken care of with education and suitable housing. Their story begins with Emily pleading with her father to buy slaves from a neighboring estate. Nathan and his family were about to be sold and separated. This sets the plot of living by your convictions in a culture that was blinded by greed and self-righteousness.

The judge purchases the family of Nathan and he is severely injured before the purchase. Calling on Dr. Charles Slate to tend to Nathan's injuries, a friendship/courtship is started with Emily. In spite of the Judge's concern with Slate's lifestyle and beliefs, he unrelentingly gives his blessing to marriage. The family is tied again with another marriage between Emily's brother and Charles young disturbed sister which creates more tension among the families. As the war draws near to the family, another war is waged between the families. The irony is what is in a man's heart and how he views his fellow man. How slavery comes in many forms along with freedom. And where does the healing begin.

I loved how the two families came together, how Emily lost and found herself. How she found the will to go on. The friendship she had with family "slaves" and the truth that they held her to. A historical fiction that is worth the time and reflection. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

The Abolitionist's Daughter, written by Diane C. McPhail, opens in Greensboro, Mississippi in the year 1859. A slave auction has been scheduled. A young woman by the name of Emily Matthews is begging her father to prevent the slave Nathan from being separated from his family. Her father, a judge, is a staunch abolitionist. Despite the law, Judge Matthews educates his slaves and wants to set them free, even though laws prohibit him from doing so. Restricted by Mississippi's stringent slave laws, Judge Matthews does the only thing he can do legally. He purchases Nathan, Jessie, and their two children and brings them to live at his home.

Emily and longtime companion/mother-figure Ginny, another slave in her father's home, help this family transition into their new lives. It soon becomes evident, that although enlightened, Emily is often unaware of the realities of their world. Ginny, however, sees life as it is; she knows that the "freedom" and education afforded to them by the Matthews' family does not extend beyond that homestead. Ginny, although not the protagonist, proves to be the most "powerful" presence in the story. It is Ginny's resilience and reason that helps Emily evolve and grow. So much so, that when the unthinkable happens, Emily is able to draw from her inner strength, confront painful truths, and right society's wrongs in any way that she can.

An emotional, often uncomfortable story about friendship, survival, redemption, and infinite hope, The Abolitionist's Daughter is a must-read for history lovers and women's fiction readers alike.

***
I received a complimentary copy of this book from John Scognamiglio Books, Kensington Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Author Diane C. McPhail has written a book that is at times gripping and taut and then detours into strange moments of out-of-context preaching. THE ABOLITIONIST’S DAUGHTER is a title that suggests the tale is primarily concerned with the role of slavery in the U.S., presumably approaching the Civil War era. In fact, the tale has more to do with the life of one woman and her struggle towards adulthood than it does with her struggles with slavery. One lead character in particular is given way too much dialog that is only from 2019; when she mentions white privilege it is just over the top. Now, having noted all of that, it is worth reporting that the story is a good one. It is one of those engulfing Southern tales of life around/during the Civil War and all the ways that women and children found to excel in the face of adversity. The author is a good writer and capable of telling a great story. She just needs to stay in the era she has chosen. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This story begins prior to the beginning of the Civil War, and our locations is deep in Mississippi, and we are living with slave owners, but, and that is a big but, they have drawn up the manumission papers for all, but the government said they weren’t allowed to free these people.
This is a story about family, but it includes those that are not related by blood or marriage, you sure could feel the love here.
I questioned the actions of Emily’s husband, but keep reading, all is not as appears, and yet, maybe there is more to his actions than I want to read into them.
I did find myself gasping when some of the bombshells hit, no way I saw them coming, and coming they did right up to the end!
Life was not easy here for anyone, and some people just keep making them harder and harder.
I did find myself page turning for answers, but never expected the surprises that continued to happen!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

It was just not for me, too many characters and i could'nt get myself to care for any of them. Sometimes i got confused of what happend and where it happend.

I still remain unsure as to my enjoyment of this book. I think I expected more about the American Civil War and also life in detail in Mississippi for ordinary folks and slaves on the plantations.

The actual story involves Emily the daughter of Judge Matthews and he treats slaves better than most of his neighbours. There is plenty of tragedy and sadness which the author captures really well.

The trouble for me is that in my home town, Bristol, the town's fame and wealth was built on the slave trade and few slave traders were more infamous or wealthy than Edward Colston. Almost 300 years since his death, there are moves to remove his name from schools, public buildings and charities which benefited from his wealth. Here we have the modern views which I believe the author subscribes to.

The Abolitionist's Daughter is an intricate, involved story of family, of the misunderstandings and divided loyalties that result in unapproachable rifts, and of the cost of freedom. Freedom from doubt, freedom of choice, freedom to love. The backstory of a country at war with itself and the verdant glory that is the lower Mississippi delta make this a book to savor.

An outspoken proponent of manumission, plantation owner Judge Matthews was considered an oddity in Greensboro, Mississippi even after the war between the states broke out. Well respected by the people of Greensboro, he was allowed his idiosyncrasies and could be counted on to bring fairness to the table when sorting out problems in the community. To his oldest son Will and shy, motherless daughter Emily, he could do no wrong. Youngest son Jeremiah was a different story altogether.

Adeline Slate is the hard working mother of two sons and a daughter. Husband Thomas is a drunkard long delegated to the shed in the back yard. Adaline runs their small farm with the help of her youngest son Hammond. Oldest son Charles is a young medical doctor with a growing practice in Greensboro and a plan to marry Emily Matthews. Daughter Belinda, though considered a bit odd, has a hankering for Will Matthews, a widower who lost his first wife and son in childbirth.

Everything seems settled, everyone should be content. With their marriages, the Judge turns over to his children starter homes with the accompanying family land to be held for the next generations of the family. But even before casualties from war battles begin coming home, the family graveyards are filling up. Will there be anyone left in the Matthews family, the Slate family, when all is said and done?

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Diane C. McPhail, and John Scognamiglio, Kensington Books. I have read and reviewed this Civil War tale of my own volition. This review reflects my personal opinion of this work.

I was really excited to read this book. I love stories about the Civil War but I have never read about abolitionists in the south. This is more of a story about family and greed. While the main characters wanted to to away with slavery it was not the center of the book. In the end I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.