What an emotion-filled, well-researched tale of Philadelphia in the late 1830s! I enjoyed it immensely. By this time, most Blacks in Philadelphia were free, ranging from the unemployed to upper middle-class families. There were also enslaved people in the city, as slave owners from other states were allowed to bring their slaves into Pennsylvania. Not everyone was happy with being a free state, and at this time, Philadelphia was a city of race riots and attacks on abolitionists.
The novel is a pleasant yet frightening read. Dangers are hiding around the corner for everyone, regardless of their standing. Each character is fully fleshed out so the reader understands and empathizes with their actions. The story is a coming of age for all the main characters as they learn to thoughtfully make decisions about their true commitments to people and ideals. Historic figures interact with the fictional ones, making the story more realistic. The book itself is very informative. Aston Lattimore deeply researched all her topics and does an extraordinary job of mixing in facts without becoming pedantic. I strongly encourage all readers to peruse the Author’s Note at the end of the book. It contains a substantial synopsis of the historical background of the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Ballantine Books, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own..

ALL WE WERE PROMISED by Ashton Lattimore is a stunning debut set in 1838 Philadelphia that features three young women (Charlotte, Nell, and Evie) who are trying to find their way, given the situations they were dealt. I felt for each's plight. I feel that I've read some books set before the Civil War, but I don't believe I've read a historical fiction book dealing with slavery set in the north. I appreciated the deep dive into this time and what every day life was like for each. I don't want to go too much into the actual plot, as I think that is spoiler territory. One non-spoiler is that early 1800s is rough. No telephones, mail takes forever and you might need to avoid anyway, it's a lot of showing up at the same place in the future to try to catch the person again.

I think there are a few cautions to keep in mind.

- The beginning and middle have rather slow pacing.
- Each of these characters doesn't come alive as much as I wanted. I could keep the three main characters distinct, but that was more because of their different situations than their personalities.
- Both of these cautions are fine because of the author's approach. This novel is more about the history of the time than finely-drawn characters.

Loved the Author's Note with all of the history!

This novel takes place in Philadelphia about three black women prior to the civil war. I have read many books about slavers, very few books deal with this period in time. What struck me most was, how the racism and prejudice against blacks thar was present in the late 19 the century, is sadly still present today. Overall 4 stars.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

A book filled with strong women, saving themselves when all the odds were against them.

I received an early copy through Netgalley but all opinions are my own.

You can’t read this book without feeling the heart-breaking times of Black slaves prior to the Civil War. Beautifully written, this book reflects on the benefits yet risky dangers of being a runaway slave.

Charlotte followed her father, James, when they were able to escape from a Maryland plantation. They started a new life in Philadelphia where James had a woodworking shop. He could pass for being white while her skin was black. He told people that she was a house maid rather than his daughter to give him more business opportunities.

Charlotte became fast friends with Nell who was raised in a prominent Black family. Nell introduced Charlotte to an antislavery society and book group. While fundraising at the market, Charlotte spotted Evie from the plantation where they once lived together. Evie was now sleeping in a tiny room close to Kate, her slave owner. Evie begged for help to be free.

Ashton Lattimore is a good storyteller which draws you right into this time period and setting. The characters were braver than I would be in a world with violence and prejudice by white men. The book was filled with secrets, trust, and fear. The suspense was high at times with a handful of main characters helping Evie. It is absorbing, well-researched and inspires thought.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 2, 2024.

A fascinating historical novel about the abolition movement in Philadelphia. This book was compelling to read and explored a time in the history of the Untied States that is often skipped. Parts of this book are difficult to read because of the difficult subject but I found this book compelling, well written and informative.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book to be published April 2, 2024

This is my review which will appear in the online literary journal, The Southern Literary Review, in June 2024, which "All We Were Promised" will the "Read of the Month." Condensed version of this review will be or have been posted at Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads. Excellent book. Thank you for letting me read it. Peace, Claire Matturro

Review of “All We Were Promised” by Ashton Lattimore
Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro

“All We Were Promised” (Ballentine Books 2024) by Ashton Lattimore is a literary historical novel set in 1837 in which the author accomplishes exactly what an excellent historical novel should—that is, she blends well-researched, accurate historical facts into a fictional plot to create a fascinating, eminently readable, and suspenseful story. Readers will learn true history from this book, and they will be entertained in the process with this crisply written, gripping story.

The protagonists, three Black women from different backgrounds and situations, are fully developed, rich characters who are drawn together in the tense, often dangerous Philadelphia abolitionist movement in 1838. Though they all have similar goals—the end of slavery and personal freedom—their approaches and individual situations often put them at odds with each other and their families. Mingled throughout the novel, actual historical figures such as Robert Purvis, Lucretia Mott, Hetty Reckless, William Lloyd Garrison, and Angelina Grimke appear, used fictionally but in ways that are consistent with their real-life roles. There are no dull lectures anywhere in the book, yet much accurate information is conveyed within the story lines regarding the abolitionist movement in that time frame and place. The emotions, tensions, conflicts, and danger facing the three women are firmly rooted within actual history. While most of the story takes place in Philadelphia, the back stories of two of the main characters are set in the South and the main antagonist—a loathsome, self-centered widow on a deceptive campaign to marry well—is from the South.

With a recurring theme that “[s]ometimes doing the right thing is more important than doing what’s safest,” the author raises important questions that resonate today in our divisive society. Issues of class struggle, women’s rights, and civil rights of Blacks, which are important elements in this novel, resound to this good day. Yet, the author manages to avoid becoming preachy, overly didactic, or strident in conveying such issues within the story.

The three young women at the center of the story bring their contrasting experiences as Black women in 1838 into the novel. Charlotte is an escaped slave living as a freed woman in Philadelphia. She is protected by her father, also an escaped slave, but one who passes as white. Though she appears safe, Charlotte lives with the fear of being caught and returned to slavery and she yearns to be more than a maid in her father’s house. Nell is a free-born Black, living with her upper-class family, and sheltered by the wealth of her parents. As part of the city’s monied Black elite, she is often unaware of what other Black women deal with on a day-to-day basis—but she will learn as the story developed. Evie is an enslave young woman visiting in Philadelphia with her selfish, callous mistress and desperate to escape before being sent back to the Carolinas, where her future would be grim. Uneducated, but bright and determined, Evie’s quest for freedom soon pulls Charlotte and Nell into acute danger when their paths cross.

In the novel, the women and others in their abolitionist circles and in the city’s Female Antislavery Society, wrestle with questions of what to do, how to do it, and how much risk to personally take upon themselves. Nell’s antislavery group, which includes Black and White women, hold long meetings heavy on procedure but light on direct action, though they regularly draft antislavery statements, circulate such statements around town for signatures, and ship them off to Congress, where they are routinely ignored. Speaking through her characters, the author illustrates the limited political actions allowed women in those days when females could not vote and were largely excluded from political activities and public forums. When Charlotte joins the antislavery group as Nell’s friend, she shakes things up given her own recent experiences as a slave and her demand that the group do something to help actual slaves escape. In advocating for direct action, she riles some of the elite women in the group. Cautiously, Charlotte also keeps her own past as a slave well hidden from everyone—even her friend Nell—and this will have some damning repercussions.

Nell longs to do more, yet she is confined by her more conservative parents, who donate generously to Black causes, but prefer not to be involved in risky activities. As Nell tartly tells her mother and father, there are limits to what one can do by tossing money at people. Yet in Nell’s group of abolitionist women—both White and Black—few take direct action. Charlotte’s challenge to them asking them what they have done to actually help an enslaved person brings about concerns and risks her expulsion from the group. Yet at least one other woman in the organization, a former slave herself, Hetty Reckless (a true historical person used fictionally in the book) is ready and willing to step up and help. Hetty individually responds to Charlotte’s demands that the group take direct action and is soon linking Charlotte and Nell with others who help slaves with direct intervention. As plans to help Evie escape are thwarted more than once, the danger to all involved escalates.

Time is running out for Evie as the intricate plot soon points out the six-month compromise in the laws in Pennsylvania. Though technically a free state, when slaves visited Pennsylvania with their owners, they were not automatically freed but only after six months of living there are they entitled to claim they are free. This allows slave owners to vacation and do business in the state while continuing to own their slaves. Slave owners quickly learned to send their slaves back south before six months expired and then bring them back again. Thus, Evie has a narrow window of six months in which to escape before being sent South again. When Charlotte and Nell commit to helping her escape, they know their timeline is tight and that any failure could send them all into slavery in the Deep South.

Between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, Philadelphia was home to the largest and arguable most politically active free Black communities in the northern United States, a fact author discusses in her “Author’s Note.” Yet as illustrated by the actions in the plot, Blacks could do very little in the city in that era without risking retribution from White Philadelphia in reprisal. Or as one character realized, Black people in the city hardly had to do anything at all to “stir up White’s folks anger.” Using established historical facts such as the destruction of Pennsylvania Hall, which was burned within days of its opening, and the agitation to end free Black men’s right to vote, the author does an admirable job of illustrating the precarious balance between personal safety and activism facing Blacks. Within the framework of fiction, the merciless beating of a Black journalist, the kidnapping of free Blacks with an intent to return them South into slavery, the burning down of a business, and the arrest of an abolitionist are all effectively used to show how even free Blacks faced constant danger in a so-called free city.

This is an important book, one that raises vital questions that are significant to this good day. It is also a suspenseful novel, with compelling characters and a page-turning quality. But what makes it such a stellar historical novel is how adeptly and accurately the real fact-based history of a place and time are conveyed through the experiences of its three main characters.

The author, Ashton Lattimore, is a former lawyer, turned award-winning journalist and author. Though All We Were Promised is her debut novel, she has extensive nonfiction publications and is the editor-in-chief at Prism, a nonprofit news outlet by and for communities of color. Her nonfiction has been published in The Washington Post, Slate, CNN, and Essence. A graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Columbia Journalism School, Lattimore grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in suburban Philadelphia with her husband and their two sons.

1837 Philadelphia. A young [Black] housemaid, Charlotte, has a secret. She conspires with Nell, a wealthy young [Black} abolitionist to help Evie, an enslaved girl, escape.

Historical fiction, well researched, but... There are many interesting details regarding life in Philadelphia--especially for the wealthy black enclave, the abolitionist/anti-slavery movement, and the building of Philadelphia Hall.

A story of friendship, deception, family, slavery.

Pennsylvania was a free state--BUT there were enough loopholes to allow southern slave owners to bring their slaves north--witness the predicament of Evie with Kate [an interesting backstory].

I so wanted to love this book!I However, it never really grabbed me [although it was a fast, easy read [save for the grim subject matter/slavery/man's inhumanity to man]. I kept plowing through. Forgive me, but I found it somewhat lacking in literary merit--the prose was [to me] quite pedestrian--it never captured me and I like when prose takes my breath away! And, always a disconnect for me--"mush", an obvious trajectory [in a couple of instances], and a neat and tidy ending [no spoiler from me].

Also I found it a bit unbelievable although I credit Charlotte for her "growth" that she changed from a very timid woman to one with great fortitude in a relatively short period.

Question: why do the driver's for one of the white slavers have Greek names--Odysseus and Achilles?

Be sure to read the Author's Notes.

In the distinct minority. Solid 3.

An amazing story that was more than what was promised. It is a glorious story that makes you wonder why Harriet Tubman was left out, and wanting more! I hope there will be more!

I enjoyed this historical fiction about the abolitionist movement in Philadelphia in the early 1800's. It centers around three young black women . Nell who is born to a family that has been free for generations, Charlotte has escaped to freedom and fears discovery and Evie who is brought in slavery by her mistress to Philadelphia. It is a fascinating look at the various ways that young black women negotiated their freedom in a time before the Civil War. Well written and thoroughly researched it is quite engrossing. Recommended to for readers who enjoy historical fiction, lives of black women in slavery and US history.

What a meticulous and satisfying book - this is so thoughtful about its characters and their relationships to the world at large and to each other, the different things they all notice, their different experiences of the details of day-to-day life, from how the way they're dressed affects their reception in the world, to their awareness of when and how they're watched, and when they're confident and when they're nervous, the ways they're supported and let down. This careful specificity makes you feel not just the necessity of the characters' taking action but also the difficulty of it, the intensity of their need for care, the different risks they're all assuming.

All We Were Promised takes place in Philadelphia in the 1830s before the Civil War. The story follows Charlotte and her father, who are both escaped slaves. Charlotte’s father can pass as white while Charlotte can not so she poses as his maid. Charlotte is befriended by Ness, who is a free Black woman whose elite family has lived in Philadelphia for years. Charlotte’s friend, Evie, remained in the south but soon appears in Philadelphia with her mistress. The story centers around these 3 very powerful women.
Very interesting historical fiction story about the times in the 1830s with the abolitionists working to end slavery. One certainly learns quite a bit about the history in Philadelphia at that time.
I greatly enjoyed this novel. It’s an easy read but very engaging.

Philadelphia in pre-Civil War 1830’s is the backdrop for this work about the growing abolitionist movement. The storyline is focused on three Black women: Nell, a free-born member of an elite family, Charlotte, an escaped slave who poses as a housemaid for her “passing” father, Evie, a slave, whose future is bleak and forces her to run from her mistress, Kate. Using historical fact, Ashton Lattimore demonstrates early days of the Underground Railroad. We see the uphill climb of people involved in providing meetings and lectures about the elimination of slavery. Counter demonstrations, riots and violence meet their attempts. We witness the cruel beliefs of the slave owners and the lack of concern on the part of free people of both races. Despite how abhorrent the act of slavery, it is vital to read about those involved in the movement that helped to eliminate it. The author presents this through memorable characters and tense situations. We learn much about our history in this work.

This was a beautiful story. I was so pleased to have 3 points of view. One a runaway, one a slave attempting to runaway, and the other fighting for laws to end slavery. The way that these ladies helped each other was phenomenal.

The first American abolition society was founded in Philadelphia in 1775, and even though Pennsylvania was in a free state when this novel takes place in 1837, blatant racism and legal loopholes regarding the status of slaves still existed.

Charlotte and her father have run north to Philadelphia from Maryland to escape slavery. Charlotte’s father can pass as white, but Charlotte cannot, so she must assume the role of a housemaid in their house. Charlotte’s best friend Evie was left behind in Maryland but now has been brought to Philadelphia to help with her owner’s wedding plans. Nell is part of a Black family that is well-established in the city. These three young women are at the heart of the story.

As Charlotte and Nell work to end slavery, and to rescue Evie, they encounter numerous and dangerous difficulties.

This novel is most interesting in that it provides a significant amount of information relative to what Philadelphia, its Black community, and “freedom” looked like in 1837.

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I gave this three stars. It seems like it would be more suitable for a YA audience. Also, it was written in the third person, and there was a lot of rumination, reflection, and pondering going on … mostly rumination.

It did have a lot of interesting historical detail, but …

Just before starting this novel, I finished "James" by Percival Everett. It is much more graphic in terms of the violence inflicted on slaves. Also, it makes me think that Evie's speech should have better reflected the fact that she was a slave with virtually no education.

Overall I enjoyed what I read of this book. But I could not finish it and I think it’s because it was an ebook format. I think I would’ve enjoyed it in hard copy or to follow along with an audiobook.

The characters had such interesting backgrounds and were placed in a very specific moment in history at a very specific location in Philadelphia when the abolitionist were doing their best to overturn slavery. It definitely felt poignant and timely, but I couldn’t get into the story once Evie showed up as a new POV. I think it made it more confusing for me to follow along. Overall I did enjoy the book and will be checking it out from my library when it publishes.

All We Were Promised is a fascinating look at Philadelphia in the pre-Civil War years. Told from the perspective of three young Black women, it encompasses Nell, a member of the elite Black society; Charlotte, a runaway living in the city; and Evie, a slave looking to escape her southern mistress visiting the northern city. The three women are all fully developed and I appreciated that Lattimore fairly presented the risks each faced, especially Charlotte.
The story points out how precarious the lives of all Blacks were in the town. Pennsylvania might have been a free state, but it had a variety of loopholes to allow southern owners to bring their slaves north. And those that were free still faced bigotry and violence. Lattimore does a great job of putting the reader in the time and place. It’s obvious she’s done her research. And her book meets my standard for historical fiction - I learned something about the subject being covered.
The story deals with the risks people are willing to take for others, on both large and small scales. For example, the women quickly learn that the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society is all talk and no action. Flip side, Charlotte is forced to confront what risks she’ll take to help Evie.
Other themes include classism, passing as white and the limited roles of women.
What starts off at a languorous pace picks up as the ending approaches. I was totally taken in and couldn’t wait to see how things would resolve.
An excellent book and this one is going on my “best of 2024” list.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: April 2, 2024

Rating: 2 stars

Historical fiction is one of the few genres that I love and I get even more excited when it’s during a time period I know little about.

When I read the synopsis for All That We Were Promised, I knew I wanted to give this debut a shot!

Unfortunately, I could tell quickly that I wasn’t the right reader for this book. To have the POV be in 3rd person made it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The pacing was on the slower side but it’s filled with information about the time period of pre-Civil War.

Perfect for fans:
- Historical fiction
- Slavery versus free states
- Civil unrest
- Women friendships
- Differences in class
- Nonfiction vibes
- Informative of 1860’s

A deep and informative look at the happenings in Philadelphia pre-emancipation and the imagined lives of three women. The story relates the tense atmosphere in a city where freed slaves dwell-some in poverty, others rising to create an elite class. The women are from three different classes-Nell is rich, Charlotte is a servant to her father, and Evie is a slave desiring to be free. The city explodes almost daily from tension as Nell and Charlotte strive to find a way to free Evie.
Sometimes long and drawn out, the story slows many times as it progresses.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All We Were Promised is a riveting historical fiction novel by Lattimore that is told through multiple point-of-views. The story follows Evie, Nell, and Charlotte as their lives intertwine in 1830s Philadelphia. The novel showcases the wide juxtaposition between the free and enslaved community as well as Abolitionists fighting for Civil Rights. I felt the alternating viewpoints gave readers a deeper insight into the characters and their backgrounds and how different their lives are from each other. Each character Is very vulnerable but also confident wanting to write the wrongs of their past and to help others. Nell especially sticks her neck out to help those even though it is frowned upon by the high society background that she comes from.

This novel is not about only powerful women but also gives a history lesson about America and what it was like, especially for Black women in this era. and. At times the novel is incredibly emotional and hard to read. The author does not shy away from many of the sad historical truths that played out in American history while some of the characters are based on real-life people in history (ex. Hetty Reckless was one of the Black founding members of the real-life Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society). I appreciated how the novel focuses on the early activism aspects of Philadelphia and learning about the Black women and men who were involved in the early abolitionist movement of this time which I knew had Some knowledge of but learned a lot more after reading this book.

This novel also presents such powerful and inspiring female characters that the reader can admire and root for but even toward the end of the story you know that there is more work to be done and that there is no shining away from the harsh reality of their lives. I think many readers will be able to take away a lot of lessons from this book as well as learn more about history that they weren’t already familiar with. I think that will inspire them to research this topic more as it did for me.

I enjoyed reading this novel from beginning to end and Latimore’s writing is lyrical, and powerful, and keeps the reading engaged constantly with the narrative of the novel’s three main characters. I hope to read more novels from this author in the future and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys delving into the history historical fiction genre.