A phenomenal book. The history of enslaved black people in Philadelphia which I never knew about. Escaping the south and all the horrors that went with it!

ALL WE WERE PROMISED is 19th century American historical fiction about women, slavery, and the abolitionist movement - centered loosely around Pennsylvania Hall in Philadelphia -- an abolitionist venue which opened as a "Temple of Free Discussion" in 1838, and was torched by an anti-abolitionist mob four days later. I confess this is an event I had never heard about. Awarded three stars but 3.25 or 3.5 is more accurate.

The story focuses on four women:

• Charlotte: born into slavery, she and her father fled their Maryland plantation to establish a new life in Philadelphia, but success comes with heavy burdens for both.

• Kate: A self-involved widow and slave owner who has fallen on hard times and comes to Philadelphia to find a husband to provide her with a more stable financial situation.

• Evie: a teenage girl, enslaved by Kate, who longs to escape slavery and establish a more independent life.

• Nell: a young woman passionate about abolition, whose family is part of a small, prominent, and wealthy Black community in Philadelphia.

How these four women connect and interact -- sometimes with threats and deception, sometimes with trust and great risk-- is the foundation to this novel. For three of the women, ALL WE WERE PROMISED is their coming-of-age story where each must explore the line between right and wrong, between well-intended language and true commitment. All the while, they are surrounded by fierce defenders of slavery, slave catchers looking for bounties, and rampant racism.

This is the Ashton Lattimore's (a former attorney) debut novel and while the book is very well written, I also found it has some rookie flaws. The first half of the book is quite slow, though the drama does pick up significantly after that. Also, I found very heavy reliance on an omniscient narrator who wound up keeping me (as a reader) at a distance from the characters. Instead of discovering each character through the character's own words, I found the narrator was telling me what each was feeling and experiencing. So, I wasn't able to connect to their lives in the direct way I'd hoped, based on the book's description.

Overall, ALL WE WERE PROMISED is an interesting glimpse into our country's story of institutional slavery at one moment in time -- in a large, supposedly free Northern city 20+ years before the Civil War. If you're interested in the subject matter or this time period, I think you'll learn quite a bit.

All We Were Promised looks at the lives of 3 black women after the Civil War. They are drawn together as they seek rights and freedoms for blacks, as promised.
They 3 viewpoints really brought this story to life as each woman must forge their own path to full freedom and safety.
Set in Philadelphia this historical fiction tells of the debates of the rights of blacks and the struggle of belonging that they faced and continue to face today.
Lattimore brings us a piece of history, told from different viewpoints, and brings that era alive for her readers.

Told from the voices of three young women in Philadelphia - a free Black from a well-to-do family, a freed slave, and a current slave. While the women are fictional many of the events are actual. A stunning look at slavery and the work to abolish it

This is an excellent book giving a look into a little known part of American history and its relationship with its slavery past.

Set in pre-civil war Philadelphia we learn about a divided northern city where blacks are free and many prosperous. There is an elite black society where freemen own businesses, their wives manage lovely homes and their children get a fine education. Philadelphia becomes a destination and a beacon of hope for escaped slaves looking to better their circumstances.

It’s in this vibrant city that the lives of three young black women converge each with their own agenda and secrets: Nell, daughter of one the elite black families who is an abolitionist, Charlotte, a run away slave newly arrived in Philadelphia and living as a slave to her black father who is passing as white, and Evie, a slave visiting the city with her owner, the mistress of the plantation from whom Charlotte and her father are on the run.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication.


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Courtesy of Random House and Netgalley, I received the ARC of All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore. This debut historical novel focuses on three young Black women in pre Civil War Philadelphia, their desire to be free from slavery, and their involvement with abolition efforts. While developing compelling characters centered around this important era in Philadelphia history, the author created an amazing and personal narrative. I couldn't stop reading! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

The lives of three black women pre civil war, Charlotte (escaped slave), Nell (born free) , and Evie (slave), were emotional and captivating.

The author did an awesome.job of interweaving their lives. The characters are portrayed realistically and I felt the love between the three women, their emotional bonds were strong.

The book gave insight to black women's lives pre civil war and the shocking differences that existed between those fortunate enough to be free vs. those able to escape a life of slavery and those who living in slavery.

It was a horrible time in history. We have come a long way, but still have far to go.

Recommend.

I loved this powerful historical fiction! It captivated me from beginning to end! At its center are three young Black women, Nell, born in Philadelphia, and never enslaved, Charlotte, an escaped slave, now free, and Evie, a slave, hoping she can find her way to freedom. Ashton Lattimore has expertly blended the stories of these three to relate the beginnings of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society, The Philadelphia Vigilant Association, and the building of Freedom Hall, as well as the very real fear of both free Blacks, and freed slaves that they could be captured and sold into slavery, despite being legally free. All of the characters the author has created to bring this period of history to life are just so real! The author makes you feel their pain, their struggles, and their triumphs. She has also interspersed several real-life icons of the anti-slavery movement throughout the book. Definitely read the author notes at the end for the history that inspired the book. This is an absolutely amazing first novel! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my advanced copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

Beautifully written and such an eye opener. Loved the descriptions of clothes and “seeing” real historical figures & places I had never heard of before.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Charlotte is currently living in Philadelphia. She thought that her life would be different than before. This book captures what life was like in the eighteen hundreds

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this E-arc for my honest review.
Well-written historical fiction story with strong female characters fighting for abolishing slavery, assisting runaway slaves, standing up for women of all color, etc.
This book is heartbreakingly beautiful and a must read for all.

Intertwining the stories of three young Black women in 1830's Philadelphia, author first-time author, Lattimore gives readers a look into the dangerous time in which they lived. Charlotte (aka Carrie) and her father James are escaped slaves who have lived in the North for four years. With James passing as white and keeping Charlotte hiding in plain sight as his slave, he has built a prospering furniture business. But Charlotte wants more and makes friends with a young wealthy Black woman named Nell who is working to abolish slavery. As dangerous as this activity is, Charlotte sneaks out of the house and joins Nell's women's group. All goes well until her former mistress shows up in town with Evie, a slave that was like a sister to Charlotte who begs Charlotte to find a way to help her escape before she is taken further south.

I thought the three intertwining stories were interesting. It was obvious that Lattimore had done a lot of research into the time period and Philadelphia in particular. The novel could have been much tighter with additional editing. There were times that the narrative dragged and I had to push myself to continue reading. I felt that James was not as fully a developed character as he should have been given that he was the one who instigated the escape from White Oaks plantation and is Charlotte's father.

I was asked to review “All We Were Premised” by Ashton Lattimore. This historical tale centers around three very different black women in pre-Civil War Philadelphia. Charlotte has escaped slavery and looks forward to a new life in the north. Unfortunately, she left Evie behind. Meanwhile, Nell is part of influential class of black families in Philadelphia and an abolitionist. When Evie’s owner brings her slave to Philadelphia, she and Charlotte reunite. Accordingly, Charlotte is determined to give Evie the same opportunity that she has and seeks help from Nell.

I really liked the three different perspectives. Most of the Civil War fiction I read takes place in the South, so I enjoyed learning about how Philadelphia allowed different classes of Blacks to coexist. Philadelphia also supported the six-month rule that permitted slaves to gain their freedom by resides in the state for six months. Overall, I found this story compelling with the characters memorable and unique.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a chance to review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and as I continue to learn about slavery in the South and in the related impact in Philadelphia. I was familiar with Phyllis Wheatly but not so much with issues in Philadelphia—even though I lived there for 10 years! The characters and situations seemed realistic, the power of women was strongly demonstrated especially women’s ability to stick together. Race can be a tough conversation but I thought it was a solid, intriguing and realistic portrayal of our history. Escape, rescue, trust and friendship are the common themes as we look at this historical novel of a hard time in our country.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the Advanced Review copy.

What a book if you've ever wondered how they lived in late 1800- 1900 this is the book for you! Slavery and free blacks were worlds apart. You'll cry and smile at the differences but yet wonder how that could be. Philadelphia was a different place . There were many Free blacks and then runaways and those who could past for white , just waiting for for freedom!

As an avid historical fiction reader, I always look forward to learning something new and this debut novel added to my knowledge of life in pre Civil War Philadelphia during the years of 1837-38. The story focuses on three young women who are all facing the challenges of slavery, discrimination, and lack of freedom to make their own choices. Their lives become intwined as Nell, a free Black from a wealthy family, helps Charlotte, an escaped slave, try to free Evie who is enslaved on the same plantation Charlotte and her father escaped from. Thank you netgalley for this advanced reader's copy.

All We Were Promised
Author Ashton Lattimore
(This review is from an ARC sent to me by NetGalley)
The novel tales place in Pre-Civil War Philadelphia, in 1837. After Charlotte escaped from the crumbling White Oaks plantation down South, she thought freedom would be different from her enslavement but she is locked away by her father who passes off as a white man, hiding their identities from slavecatchers. The other two main protagonists are Nell an abolitionist from one of Philadelphia’s wealthiest Black families and Evie, Charlotte’s friend from White Oaks, who has been brought to the city by the plantation mistress, and she’s desperate to escape. The city of Philadelphia is beset by race riots and attacks on abolitionists, Nell and Charlotte soon discover that fighting for Evie’s freedom may cost them their own.
“Philadelphia witnessed a series of anti-abolition and anti-Black riots in the 1830s and 1840s that cast a long shadow over racial politics in the city. The infamous burning of Pennsylvania Hall (a newly built abolitionist meeting place) in May 1838 reminded activists that seemingly tolerant Philadelphia supported a violent brand of anti-abolitionism.” (Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia)
Although this is a work of Historical Fiction the suspenseful plot that the author conveys and the tenseness and hopelessness of the slaves portrayed, seeking their freedom in a city that represented liberty leading up to the Civil War.

Historical fiction at its best. All We Were Promised is set in Philadelphia before the Civil War and follows the lives of three young Black women. Charlotte and her father have begun a new life after fleeing slavery in Maryland. She has befriended Nell, the daughter of a wealthy, prominent Black family. Evie, a slave who has been brought to the city by her mistress, is surprised to catch a glimpse of Charlotte in a local market. Nell and Charlotte's work with an abolitionist group takes a brutally personal turn as they struggle to achieve freedom for Evie. Both harrowing and heartwarming, this book brings history to life.

Set in pre-Civil War Philadelphia, this novel shares the stories and paths of three young Black women risking everything for freedom and the kind of life they rightfully deserved to live.

Charlotte is an escaped housemaid who plays a servant to her white-passing father as they both try to hide their identities while creating new ones. But Charlotte didn’t expect freedom from being enslaved to turn out the way it had. Living under the rules of her father, she is just as enslaved now as she was back in White Oaks.

Longing to break away from her current situation, Charlotte befriends Nell, an abolitionist from one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia. As she begins to envision a new life for herself and the prospects of a future where she truly feels “free,” she runs into her old friend Evie, who needs help in leaving her current plantation mistress.

Both Nell and Charlotte devise a plan to help Evie become free, but as with anything risky, it comes with a cost. Secrets may be released in the open, old hostilities may arise, and lives may be in danger. But with freedom at stake, the risk is worth taking.

I truly loved this novel, and the strong female characters portrayed. While heartbreaking, it opened my eyes to the tragedy and horrific way human beings were treated. With each turning of the page, I would hold my breath as each character risked their well-being to fight for justice that should have been theirs to begin with.

The setting was accurate to the era, and the characters were flawlessly written. I only wish I could have read on. This novel could have easily been a thousand pages.

Overall, it is a beautiful and thought-provoking read. I highly recommend it.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"All We Were Promised" takes a look back on a often overlooked period in history, setting the stage in Philadelphia leading up to the American Civil War when political tensions are high and slavery is at the forefront of the country. Told from rotating perspectives, we follow two strong black protagonists as they navigate their lives in 1837: Charlotte, a young woman living disguised as her father's maid after they escaped from a plantation in the South and Nell, the daughter of one of the most prominent black families in the city who champions some of the early abolitionist policies during the time. After the two meet following an unexpected encounter and their friendship grows, Nell encourages Charlotte to join her group of female abolitionists. When Charlotte finds Evie in Philadelphia, her friend and companion from the White Oaks Plantation she grew up on, the two band together to try and help Evie escape - but are forced to risk much more than they thought.

I went into this novel blind, especially as this is the debut novel of Ashton Lattimore, but thoroughly enjoyed this work of historical fiction! She did a great job with providing the context for the setting, especially as not a lot of novels focus on the lead up to the Civil War and the complex social and political intricacies for a place like Philadelphia, where slavery was still in practice in tandem with a number of wealthy, influential black individuals and families who also resided there. I also appreciated how well crafted the protagonists were, and how their friendship and characters evolved and strengthened over the course of the story. While there were some moments that pacing felt slower, the transitioning among viewpoints felt smooth and I loved the adventure towards the end!

Very much a recommended read for when the novel is published in April 2024!