I volunteered to give my honest review in exchange for a free copy of the book pre-publication. Emily is a daughter of the local judge.he owns land and slaves. He opposes the slavery in the south, and taught his slaves to read and write against the law. He even gave his slaves freedom papers, though they were useless as they were illegal at the time. Emily adopted her father's opinion on slavery. This takes place in the late 1800s before, during, and after the United States civil war. Emily marries a doctor, and her brother marries soon after. Tragedy strikes her family. She is forced to confront her opinions on slavery. A page turner that I had difficulty putting down. One of the best written stories of slavery and the families that owned them.

This book shows how hard it is when you don't agree with a situation that is a general accepted practice but can't do anything about it because of it been against the law.
How out of naivety and well meaning thinking you are helping for the better instead you are making things worse.
Owning slaves was part of live in the South prior to the Civil War if you had a plantation to maintain. The big difference was how slaves were treated by the various owners. Many owners saw them as propriety to do with as they pleased but some like the Judge who saw them as a another human and treated them accordingly. Some deep friendships were formed between owner and slave in some cases. A lot of the slave feelings are been examined here. This book was very informative about what it was like. The reality of it all can be very disturbing. This book was an easy read and I kept on going to wanting to know what was going to happen to the various characters in story. All the main characters including some of the slaves where well developed so you felt you knew them for ages. Some like-able, others you hate and some are misunderstood but you don't get the know that unless you finish the book.

My rating: 4 stars

I was given a copy by Kensington's titles from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book, and am planning on purchasing a few copies for various family members that like to read about this era. Emily is a very sheltered girl, a middle child, who has an elder and a younger brother. The oldest brother, William, is the golden child while the youngest is the troubled, angry son who lashes out. Emily is met with various challenges that life throws at her and somehow she overcomes them all. I could not stand Charles. He is one character that I found myself wishing would die off. Horrible, I know. I simply could not stand him. The author did an amazing job weaving her tale of Emily's growth into a strong woman who was capable of doing what she thought she would never be able to do. Emily grew a spine, but still had her faults that would lead to future heartache. A big part of Emily's life is seeing her father purchase as many slaves as he can so that they may be educated and treated like fellow human beings that they are. Not one person is capable of being wholly good, or completely evil. It is the way of life. Emily does things with good intentions towards Ginny and the other people she is in charge of keeping safe, but soon realizes that even if it's meant with good intentions, it is not always for the best. A full, more thorough, more organized review will be posted by the 20th on my blog.

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Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and Diane C. McPhail for my free copy of The Abolitionist's Daughter.

Emily Matthew's is the only daughter of a local judge who lived in the southern state of Mississippi even though he did own slaves, he was against slavery and owing people. He had signed papers stating the slaves he owned were free but he kept this as a secret and even from his own family.
Due to the law at the time it was illegal to free slaves or educate them and he couldn't give his slaves their freedom papers.
Due to her father's beliefs Emily didn't have a lot of suitors and when a young doctor Charles Slate came courting Emily decided to accept his marriage proposal. As a wedding present her father gifted them some land, built them a house and gave them three slaves.

Emily's brother Will decided to marry Charles sister Belinda and the basis of the story is about how the two marriages change both families lives both before and after the war.
The story is about the slavery, disputes over land, property and how the families struggled during the war.
Emily is a strong person, she never gave up, despite what happened to her before and after the war.

I did expect due to book being called "The Abolitionist's Daughter" to have more details in the book about slavery, the underground railroad, runaway slaves and the battle's that took place during the war. The war was mentioned but not a lot of details about the battles and I think a little more information regarding this might have added more depth to the book and also the effect the Union army had on the southern states during the war wasn't really discussed in the book.
I enjoyed reading The Abolitionist's Daughter, especially about the relationships between Emily and her slaves.
Great first book from Diane C. McPhail and I gave it three stars.

The Abolitionist’s Daughter immediately caught my eye when I saw the cover as I scrolled through the NetGalley list of books available for request. Its haunting imagery evoked a sense of anguish, and without even knowing what it was about, I knew I had to read it. I wasn’t particularly looking for another historical fiction, but was impressed by the description provided, so I hit “Request”. It took quite awhile for me to get approved so I was pleasantly surprised when the email showed up in my inbox that I had been. It also came at the same time as several other books all at once, and due to the way the publication dates fell, I didn’t get to this one as fast as I wanted. Nonetheless it turned out to be well worth the wait.

The story is mainly focused on Emily Slate (nee Matthews), daughter of Judge Matthews, a Southern Abolitionist in Greensboro, Mississippi in 1859. Judge Matthews is a man who has to carefully walk the line of progressive abolitionist, while still maintaining the trust of the townsfolk, many of whom enjoy privileged lives as slave owners, in order to keep his job. He is a man of integrity who goes out of his way to purchase entire families of slaves when only a husband is being offered on the sale block.

This propensity for small acts of kindness is the first thing the reader learns of Judge Matthews, when Emily sees a sign posted with three slaves for sale. One of the slaves, Nathan, has a wife and children, who slave owner Holbert Conklin is retaining ownership of. Judge Matthews makes Conklin an offer he can’t refuse and is delivered Jessie, two children, and Nathan, who arrives with a broken arm and several other injuries, allegedly from falling off a porch while drunk. Judge Matthews is a fair and logical man, and a decent slave owner, who knows the difficulty for a slave to obtain the amount of liquor that would be necessary to render Nathan to such a state, and so he calls for the Doctor, Charles Slate, to come tend to Nathan’s injuries.

It’s during this visit that Charles Slate, son of Thomas Slate, a mean local drunk, first sees Emily, and begins to court her. Their marriage seems inevitable and despite Judge Matthews’ misgivings, he keeps his opinions to himself and allows his daughter to be wed to the Doctor. Emily has led a privileged life, and is given a plot of land with a house for her and her husband. Shortly after their marriage, Emily’s eldest brother William is wedded to Charles’ younger sister, and Emily’s former classmate, Belinda. This marriage is also graciously given a house and plot of land as well by the Judge, however both are with quiet stipulations. As so begins the conflict between the Slate’s and the Matthews’.

Charles Slate is a man of less than scrupulous character, and as McPhail intended, I didn’t much care for him or his antics. A cheater and a drinker, he took advantage of Emily’s naivety to cater to his own desires. As his wife was at home tending to their child, his horse was often hitched outside the town brothel for longer than was proper for it to simply be a doctor’s house call. Charles had no shame in his indiscretions, even in full view of the courthouse across the street, where his father in law’s office window could plainly see what he was up to. Judge Matthews wished no pain to befall his precious daughter though, and so he keeps this information to himself. But Emily is a smart woman and begins to recognise that something is amiss when Charles decides that perhaps she should spend the last several months of her second pregnancy with his mother at her home along with their first daughter, while he continue to live at home and oversee the running of their farm and continue his practice in town.

Charles Slate is the type of man that today’s society is starting to recognise as poisonous to those around him. He is a liar, a master manipulator, and a conman. He is abusive to women, an uses gaslighting as a regular tactic to manipulate those around him into keeping their heads in the sand. He is brash and impulsive and he is the type of man that seemed normal in past era’s, but who we as a society have come to realise are dangerous and damaging. And no doubt, Charles is partially a product of his upbringing, with an abusive, drunk father and a mother who had no choice but to accept this behaviour.

After Charles’ death at the hands of her younger brother, Jeremiah, Emily is forced to face her new reality. Two fatherless children, an estranged mother- and sister-in-law, a brother run off to join the Confederate Army, and a farm left to run under her command. Emily is a strong woman who quickly realises that she has been sheltered her entire life by those who she has trusted. Ginny, the woman who has raised her from the time she was but a child herself, is her closest confidante. The woman who, while in her servitude, is so much more. From Ginny Emily learns how to be stronger, how to carry on through tragedy, and when necessary, how to fight back and stand her ground.

Ginny was one of my favourite characters. She is strong and resilient and fierce and tough, and she is everything that young women should look for in a role model. McPhail did an astounding job developing Ginny’s character and truly conveying just how important she is in Emily’s life, and in Emily’s children’s lives without overstepping the fine line between slave and owner, despite the laissez-faire attitude taken by both Emily and her father in Ginny’s ownership. she was educated alongside Emily growing up, and despite being educated respects her place by law. She is an incredible character and I adored everything about her. The strength of Ginny’s character is how I wish more female characters were written, especially in this genre of book.

The Abolitionist’s Daughter concluded with several unforeseen twists, some pleasant, some not so much, but in general I found that the ending was enjoyable. It was believable without being overly sappy or cliched. Overall McPhail did a wonderful job with the writing of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. I will be highly recommending this touching read.

This book has a strong female characters who carry the plot. This perspective makes this book different than others I have read about the Civil War. The plot revolves around an abolitionist living in the deep south, and how the war deeply affects their lives. I enjoyed this story,

2.5/5 stars

As much as I wanted to love this book, I didn’t. None of the characters was captivating, which was particularly frustrating since I got the impression that Emily would be the most understandable and the easiest character to root for. I think that a lot of the problem was way too much melodrama. One tragic, overdramatic thing after another kept happening to the point where I stopped caring and just wanted to finish the book. Also, there are a lot of preachy moments that definitely come from a blatantly 2019 societal mindset. And that’s not a bad thing per se because yes, we can so easily now say as a general blanket statement that slavery is BAD. And yes, there were people back during this time period who knew it, too, which is why abolitionists were even a thing in the first place, but some of the arguments were heavily laden with such 2019 morals and views that it was no longer believable in the setting of the book and read far more as the author trying to put her personal stance into the context of an antebellum/Civil War novel. Which just...isn’t great, or at least the execution of it this time around wasn’t great.

Unfortunately, I didn’t care much for this book, and I can’t say I recommend it. There are certainly far more compelling Civil War novels about female abolitionists in the south.

This is not just another civil war story. This engaging story is told from the point of view of Southern abolistionists. It was meticulously research and I could not put it down. It’s tale of conflict, struggles, love and redemption, sadness and despair. There is so much wisdom and beauty in the telling, I hated finishing it.
Many thanks for the ARC from Net Galley and the author.

“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.”

Diane C. McPhail created characters, rich in their beliefs and very aware of their actions. There were a vast amount of characters and I was able to follow them through out the book with ease. Diane C. McPail’s ability to create a scene, was breathtaking at times.

The Abolitionist Daughter was not what I expected, which was more of an inside look of slavery, The Civil War and the outcome. The book created the struggles and happiness of the main characters, during the the time before, during and after the war, which was discussed in a distant manner.

Overall, I give The Abolitionist Daughter, by Diane C. McPail 3 stars. A great debut book by an author I look forward reading further from.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read and review this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

A good story about farming families and their slaves in the south. The abolitionists daughter stared out well with lots of strength and hope, but rather fell flat. The story just didn’t provide enough insight or details nto the characters or actions to hold my interest long. Details were given over many pages that ultimately added nothing to the narrative. An enjoyable read (the author has a way with words to be sure!) but ultimately a forgettable one.

The Abolitionist's Daughter is an amazing story that takes place around the Civil War. The Civil War is not a focal point, but it's effects are felt deeply by the main characters. Emily is a young woman living in the south with her father and brothers. Her father believes all people should be free, but he cannot legally free his slaves. As Emily grows and learns, she is faced with tough choices that put her at odds with the world she is loving in.

This book is so many different things, but the best way I can describe it is real. It does not sugar coat the atrocities that took place during the Civil War. It is very real with the racism that came even from Union soldiers. Seeing Emily grow into a woman that she was proud of was worth every minute of this book. Great writing and compelling storytelling. 5 stars

"The Abolitionist Daughter" is a complicated book for me to review. As I read it, I kept wondering about the book's purpose. It's an entertaining story, but it's fairly dramatic with numerous harsh characters and little focus on slavery. Based on the title, I expected the story to focus more on abolitionism. Instead, it discusses the real-life experiences of two families, the Matthews and the Slates, as they navigate their relationships, deal with death, and struggle through the Civil War.

It wasn't until I read the discussion questions at the end that I was able to think about some of the deeper themes in the book, such as assumptions and prejudices, PTSD, women's rights, and of course, slavery. For these reasons, I can give "The Abolitionist's Daughter" four stars and recommend it for personal or group study. Overall, it's a thoughtful story.

Note: The book contains some strong language, violence, and sexual images that may trigger readers.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked this book, and enjoyed learning about Southern Abolitionists. Even though the main characters felt that slavery was wrong, they could not give their slaves the freedom they deserved because of the laws at that time. There is so many key events and plots in this story-it revolves around Emily Matthews and her slave Ginny. I do not want to give away anything, but I encourage you to read it if you like books that take place during Civil War times. I think this was a good debut novel and look forward to more from this author.

The Abolitionist's Daugher by Diane McPhail was not what I expected. Emily was the daughter of a judge who lived in Mississippi, but did not believe in slavery. When the judge heard of slaves who were mistreated, or slave families who were about to be split, he would purchase them. He wrote papers to free his slaves, but the law in Mississippi made it illegal to free a slave. Because of his beliefs, Emily did not have many suitors. When Charles, a young doctor, came to court Emily, she was swept away by his attention. After they married, Emily's brother, Will, married Charles's sister, Belinda. In a convoluted story that includes land, inheritance set amid the Civil Way, Emily has to survive tragedy after tragedy. Will she ever know peace and happiness?

There was no underground railroad, or slaves escaping, which was what I expected to see in the book about abolitionists.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

On a Mississippi morning in 1859, Emily Matthews begs her father to save a slave, Nathan, about to be auctioned away from his family.

Overall an interesting enough story but not real memorable. I had problems with the pacing. People introduced in the beginning of the book would say a sentence or two, vanish and reappear with another sentence at the end of the book. Throughout, I spent too much time refreshing myself on who was who and how they were related to each other, which just got frustrating.

2.75☆

Shortly before the start of the American Civil War, Emily Matthews asks her father, a judge and an abolitionist to save a slave who is about to be sold away from his family. This is Mississippi in 1859, and the judge must keep his views and his illegal school for slaves a secret, but he agrees to bring Nathan and his family to his farm. Nathan has Ginny and Emily to thank for his change in circumstance. Ginny, a slave on the Mathews farm, is also Emily’s friend and has opened her mistress’s eyes about the horrors of slavery. Life on the farm becomes fraught with turmoil when the doctor brought in to tend the injured Nathan marries Emily and the War begins. This is a sweeping historical novel that evokes the time period like few books I’ve read. It’s beautiful, bitter, and profoundly sad