This is a solid debut! Ashton Lattimore balances historical context with a thrilling story—there are times when I wanted more nuance or detail, but that might have brought down the pacing. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never researched the prominent Black families in the northern US from this time, but now I want to.

All We Were Promised offers the readers an insight to the pre-Civil War years of Philadelphia. The author presents three distinct female characters from different stations in life. Nell is from a wealthy family, Charlotte is posing as a maid for her passing father, and Evie is a slave brought to the city by her mistress. The novel covers a much overlooked period of American history which is the pre-Civil War time and the pro-abolitionist movement.

The characters are well developed, the research for the novel was extensive. It compels one to dive into their own research of the period. I will be recommending this book to historical fiction fans.

I want to thank NetGalley for offering this title.

In Philadelphia 1937, Charlotte thought she escaped the constraints of slavery after fleeing from her life on a southern plantation. But life as she expected and she is still hiding her true self. Her friendship with Nell gives her hope as she watches her friend, a free Black women campaign for the Abolitionist Movement. When fellow slave and sister friend, Evie, appears Charlotte is determined to help her. But Philadelphia isn’t as welcoming as they hoped, and they are all in danger among the hostile and violent environment.
A historical fiction of a time of which I’ve read very little. Freedom, but not quite for the Black people in the north before emancipation. Lattimore did a fabulous job bringing together three Black women with very different experiences due to their class and geography. Through their eyes, she gives us glimpses of struggles and horrors they faced. Interwoven in the historical details is the story of friendship, betrayal, family, and bravery.
Being true to history and fact, it’s not a light story but well researched and equally fascinating. While very interesting, I consider it a slower paced character driven literary novel where it is well worth spending your time.

A moving story about freedom and resilience. Charlotte and Nell are friends from opposite sides of the tracks. Nell is a wealthy young woman who was born free and Charlotte is a runaway slave who must pretend to be her father’s servant who is passing for white. But both women want to find a way to right the wrongs of slavery and find their chance when trying to help a slave escape. I enjoyed the character development of both women. Although the story moved slowly it picked up towards the end. The writer expressed the themes of classism, racism and racial identity well.

A wonderful story about three very different women living in the same city fighting for the same cause. Ashton Lattimore fully immerses readers in the history of Philadelphia 1837, like no other, and has left at least this reader wanting to learn more.

I really enjoyed this book. Charlotte, an escaped slave, lives a life of relative freedom provided by her father who has established himself as an esteemed furniture maker. Charlotte is befriended by Nell, a free woman, and they begin working together for the cause of enslaved people as well as women's rights. The alternating points of view kept me engaged and I learned a lot about the efforts of the abolitionist movement in Philadelphia pre-Civil War. Time and again, we are reminded of the lengths people will go to secure the things they feel are owed to them - freedom, justice, respect. All We Were Promised does a great job of speaking to those things and the consequences, good and bad, that result from those efforts.

Pre-Civil War Pennsylvania with an excellent variety of characters showing different sides of what was happening.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

All We Were Promised is excellently written. Lattimore's words flow across the screen (pages if you're reading the physical book). The story is intriguing and detailed. It's the type of book that sparks conversations about a time in history full of tension, fears, conflict, and the unknown, kind of like today. Family issues, lies, friendships, and self-discovery are all there in the women who were carving a path for themselves at a time when that wasn't expected to be their priority. Lattimore pulls the reader into her story with her well-researched and emotional narrative.

Lattimore weaves a captivating tale about a servant who conspired with an abolitionist to free an enslaved girl. The character development and research that went into this novel are impressive. Historical fiction is at its best when it educates and entertains while exploring important human themes of love, friendship, and freedom, and this novel does just that. A powerful debut, and Lattimore will be a writer to watch.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

It took a bit for me to get into the story, but once I did, it was pretty enjoyable. It was maybe a little longer than it needed to be and it took to the last third before everything worked up to a pace I enjoyed.

What an incredible novel! Two women of color with completely different backgrounds meet in pre-Civil War Philadelphia. They attend book discussions but which eventually gets them involved in the abolitionist movement. Nell comes from the Black Elite and Charlotte escaped enslavement, but had to leave her friend Evie behind. When Evie is brought to Philadelphia, the city is already rocked with riots and filled with danger. But nothing can compare to what she endures at the hands of her enslavers, and freeing her challenges her former friend Charlotte and Nell. Abolition is no longer just a discussion, now it’s time to act.
Fantastic story, excellent writing and attention to historical detail. The three women have distinct voices, as they each tell of their own part in the whole story. Highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction and women’s fiction.

An amazing story of a young nation on the verge of a war that will separate the country for longer than anyone dared imagine. IN fact, the division still isn't over depending on where you live and your views. But I digress.
Imagine leaving the only world you have ever known behind. Even if you want to leave, need to leave, finally get to flee...you will still be lost.
Looking for a new place to land, Charlotte finds herself in Philadelphia, where everything from the weather to the women is different. Charlotte finds her voice and confidence in the new world through her friend, Nell, who strokes many people the wrong way. It is a time in history we can not forget. And we can't forget the brave men and women of all races and nationalities that found new homes in New England and fought to change the rights of all Americans. A fact we are still struggling with one-hundred and fifty years later.
With anything new set on shaky ground, like Charlotte trying to put down roots in a big city, one little thing--or person-- can wreak havoc without even meaning too.
The story of these women in this particular era and location needs to be told more often. The people fighting "up North" often get overshadowed by the senseless battles down south. A great addition to your Black History reading list in February and Women's History studies in March.

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore is an important historical fiction novel - delving into the lesser known history of pre-Civil War Philadelphia through the perspectives of three young black women. The author's note is also very important to read to shed light on the laws of this time period. Despite Pennsylvania being a free state, too many loopholes existed at the time (or laws that were ignored) to allow wealthy white families to keep their slaves in a life of servitude. Nell, Evie, and Charlotte navigate the changing sense of "freedom" they are each allotted and band together to help the antislavery movement and prevent Evie from being taken back down South. This was an entertaining historical fiction novel of friendship, family, resistance and love. Definitely recommend this novel. Thank you to Random House/ Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I love historical fiction and found this a very interesting read in Pre-Civil War Philadelphia. It tells the story of 3 black women and how very different each of their lives are and how the world views them during this time.

3.5 stars

While I thought the story had potential to be really interesting and informative, the writing did not work for me.

All We Were Promised is a compelling historical fiction set in the tumultuous years leading up to the Civil War in Philadelphia. The narrative is through the perspectives of three young Black women—Charlotte, Nell, and Evie—each navigating their own unique challenges and aspirations. Lattimore’s portrayal of their lives feels incredibly real, bringing historical authenticity to a deeply human story.

The characters in this novel are its greatest strength. Charlotte, Nell, and Evie's distinct voices and experiences drew me into their world. Charlotte is a determined woman fighting for her autonomy and dignity; Nell, caught between social classes, grapples with her identity and the expectations placed upon her; and Evie, whose ability to pass as white, faces a complex web of opportunities and dangers. Through their stories, Lattimore explores the intersectionality of race, class, and gender with a nuanced touch.

The themes of *All We Were Promised* are both timeless and urgent. Lattimore delves into the risks these women are willing to take for themselves and others, highlighting their courage and resilience in the face of systemic oppression. The novel tackles classism and the often invisible barriers it erects, even within communities striving for freedom and equality.

Lattimore’s depiction of pre-Civil War Philadelphia is rich and evocative. The city, with its tensions and divisions, comes alive as a backdrop to the characters' struggles and triumphs. The historical context is integrated into the narrative, providing depth without overwhelming the personal stories at its core. I found myself not only rooting for Charlotte, Nell, and Evie but also gaining a deeper understanding of the period's complexities.

Lattimore's prose is elegant and evocative, capturing both the beauty and the brutality of the time. The multiple points of view are handled deftly, ensuring that each character’s voice remains distinct while contributing to a cohesive overall narrative. The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of tension and reflection that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Overall Ashton Lattimore has crafted a story that is both deeply personal and historically significant, with characters who are as believable as they are inspiring. The novel’s exploration of risk, identity, and resilience resonates powerfully, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of American history and the indomitable spirit of those who lived through it.

I received an e-arc copy of this book via Random House Publishing for review. All opinions are my own.

Set in 1833 Philadelphia, the descriptions of the town and its going’s on surrounding abolition through the voices of an enslaved woman, a woman who escaped slavery, and a free, wealthy black woman and their relationship is interesting and caught my attention. Each character with her history and present situation is developed and intertwined. The plot is rather slow moving, even without taking back stories into consideration, but the premise is sound.

Thank you to Ballentine and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I really adored this book, telling the story of free blacks, escaped enslaved people and enslaved people trying to escape in pre-Civil War Philadelphia. Nell, Charlotte, and Evie do an incredible job of being stand ins for the different statuses of black people at the time while not being characatures. The plot moves at a great pace and even though the story explores a LOT, it didn't feel like too much. I can't tell if this intended to be a bit more on the YA front given the ages of the main characters, but regardless I think this is great historical fiction and would recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this wonderful eBook. This review may contain spoilers.

I think this book would appeal to a lot of historical fiction readers, especially those who are interested in stories grounded in historical realism. The strongest element of this book is the fact that it’s extremely well-researched; one can tell that the author knows what she’s talking about and is committed to communicating it in as accurate a manner possible. The weakest point is that it does feel like a journalist’s first major endeavor into fiction, which is not much of an issue to me because that’s what it is—it’s easy to see that the author is more well-versed in the technical aspects of writing and the process of research and weaving that research into a piece than fiction writing. That being said, this is an incredibly strong debut, in part, I’m sure, because of the author’s journalistic background. I think that as she writes more fiction, her skill in prose writing will catch up to her strengths. As things stand, I’m on board for what Lattimore writes next, and I’m confident that if she continues writing historical fiction with this level of dedication, she could become a powerhouse in the genre.

The writing style is consistent and strong, very effective and impressive for a fiction debut—that’s another thing I think may be in part a strength of the author’s journalistic background. Description is quite lucid and prevalent, but pretty evenly spread throughout scenes instead of heaped on unevenly. The pacing is incredibly steady, not too fast or too slow. On a technical and grammatical level, this book is clear, consistent, and competent, never distracting the reader with its construction and flowing relatively well both in its style and its mechanics. Overall, the structure of the narrative is also compelling: it alternates between the point of view of the three central characters, Charlotte, Nell, and Evie.

I appreciated the secondary plotlines, such as Nell and Alex’s romance and the familial bond between Darcell and Charlotte, and found them cohesive and very well-woven into the overall narrative. There’s a thematic throughline there of found family that is incredibly effective, forged through the shared experiences of the cast, even as they differ in background and in some of the views their backgrounds have informed. This only bolsters the major recurring theme of praxis and the advantages of direct action in comparison to more rigid diplomatic and bureaucratic forms of activism.

I don’t think the story would have lost something if it were constrained to one of the women’s perspectives per se, but I do think the usage of multiple points of view lends to the breadth of the story covering all three of their vantage points. I think the decision to portray three different positions of intersectionality between race and the factors of class and gender through the point of view characters pays off here. So often in literature dealing with marginalized identities, authors are expected to only portray one specific experience. However, in portraying three different Black women’s entwined stories, Lattimore manages to make a powerful commentary on how oppression can affect people in unique but familiar manners and the way individual experiences with a particular identity can both compare and contrast with another’s.

Lattimore’s choice to use more historically accurate language around race and racial identity within dialogue and the more modern identifier of Black within narration is just one very strong example of ways authors can navigate the changing landscape of language, especially within historical fiction. I also appreciate her discussing those decisions around the language used within dialogue vs in narration in the author’s note. Transparency about linguistic decisions made by authors I believe can make people more conscious of the fluidity of language, especially language around identity, and it’s something I’ve seen done in nonfiction works (for example, Leslie Feinberg’s Transgender Warriors and Lamar Hardwick’s How Ableism Fuels Racism both include notes around the language used within their texts) that I think more authors writing fictional works ought to consider doing. Hearing a writer’s thought process around their choices of terminology is always interesting to me, as well, and can help inform future readers regarding the landscape of language at the time a work was written.

In the author’s note, when Lattimore discusses how she developed the concept for this book, the passion and dedication put into telling this story shines through. This is a lovingly crafted historical narrative about activism and intersectionality with just as much effort put into the characters and their relationships as into the research foundational to it. I understand that the usage of a lack of (or complications with) communication as a major element of conflict may put some people off, but to me, this book is an example of that plot device being used well. Within the story’s particular historical context, the issues with communication make sense; it’s justified within the plot and doesn’t feel arbitrary. If anything, it feels like another well-thought out element of the plot.