All We Were Promised was about three different black women in 1830s Philly. Evie still in bondage, Charlotte (Carrie) a runaway slave, and Nelle born free into a prominent wealthy black family. It was interesting reading about the different dynamics of passing as white, the struggles that black people had to go through even though they were free and rich in the north, or just trying to exist. I would read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lattimore’s debut exudes originality in its characters, plot situations, and especially in its well-chosen setting of 1830s Philadelphia, “the self-proclaimed cradle of liberty,” a landmark American city whose grand ideals of freedom and brotherly love fall short for its Black residents. The opening scene makes plain this philosophical struggle. As Charlotte Walker and Nell Gardner attend a speech by prominent abolitionist Robert Purvis in Washington Square Park, white men’s resentment agitates a violent mob.

The young women’s worlds rarely intersect; their friendship is an exception. Nell’s family are well-to-do Black elites who have been free for generations, while Charlotte had escaped a Maryland plantation with her father four years earlier, a fact she keeps hidden. Charlotte is forced to serve as housemaid to her ambitious father while he passes for white and establishes an upscale woodworking business. Charlotte gradually opens Nell’s eyes to the hypocritical limitations of the Philadelphia Female Antislavery Society that Nell belongs to, since it hesitates to take action to help runaway slaves, even as these needs become immediate. Charlotte had left her younger friend Evie behind when she fled Maryland, and when Evie arrives in Philadelphia with her enslaver, the self-absorbed Missus Kate, Charlotte risks having her cover blown.

The viewpoint nimbly switches among the three lead characters, and pre-Civil War Philadelphia arises fully formed on the page with its diverse residential neighborhoods, public spaces, and a moral edifice whose structure is continually tested. The storyline keeps readers guessing on how everyone’s relationships will evolve under the weight of secrets: not just the women’s friendships, but also Nell’s potential romance with a family friend and Charlotte’s strained bond with her father/boss, who refuses to acknowledge their past. A few too-modern word choices stand out (“slow-walked”), but this is an altogether absorbing, thought-provoking story.

Reviewed for the Historical Novels Review, May 2024

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

This was a wonderfully rich debut novel about free Black people living in Philadelphia and their work to continue to help others be free.

The characters were engaging and struggling to help the greater good while finding some trouble along the way. They are trying not to be hurt by the protestors outside of their meeting places.

There are several instances of people pretending to be who they are not. The color of their skin doesn't stop them from trying to better themselves.

Charlotte is playing housemaid to her father, James, who is passing to make a better life for him and his daughter. James took Charlotte away from their plantation after learning of a plan to sell her off to pay debts after the Master passed. They are ripped from their remaining family including Evie who doesn't understand what has happened to them. She only knows that they were gone in the middle of the night never to return. Evie spots her by chance in the market and sets major danger in motion.

Charlotte works with her friends Nell and Alex to make a plan to help Evie get away from their previous mistress who is pretending to be someone else.

They are all in the same house at the same time because of a party invitation that James hosts.

This was a very well done different perspective of slaves living as free people and others trying to get to freedom with their help.

I look froward to other books by this author.

All We Were Promised follows three women in post-Civil War Philadelphia: Charlotte, Nell and Evie. Each woman represents a different category of being Black at that time. Nell's family is wealthy and she has a comfortable lifestyle. She is not content with the world and wishes to bring around the change the country deserves. Charlotte and her father escaped a few years from slavery in Maryland, Charlotte's father has used his skills as a wood craftsman to create a business and reputation for himself. But he has Charlotte employed as a housemaid which Charlotte struggles with. Charlotte sneaks out of the house to meet Nell and try to change things but has to hide that basically she is still in service. Evie is brought to Philadelphia by the widow of the plantation where Charlotte and her father escaped from. The widow will not free Evie and Evie feels trapped especially when she finds herself in a place where escape seems possible. All We Were Promised is set in the very tumultuous time after the Civil War where slaveowners do not want to change their ways. Charlotte, Nell and Evie face the sometimes dangerous challenges to effect change and make things better. All We Were Promised drew me in instantly as I wanted to find out the outcome of the three brave women amidst the chaotic events. I loved all three of these characters and many of the ancillary characters as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read the ARC of All We Were Promised.

All We Were Promised written by Ashton Lattimore is a 19th Century historical fiction that takes place in Philadelphia PA pre-civil war era. I was intrigued by this book because I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and am a history teacher. The book revolves around four women’s lives, slavery, and the abolitionist movement. The book centers around Charlotte who was born into slavery but escapes with her father. Her father is mistaken as a white man during their escape and decides to live his life as a white man with his daughter being his black maid. Charlotte meets a well-off black abolitionist named Nell and begins attending meetings and getting ready for the grand opening of an abolitionist Hall. I never heard about the burning of the “Temple of Free Discussion” in 1838, so this really interested me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and the plot moved at a fast pace. I loved the historical elements and learned a lot both during the reading of this book and afterward through my research. I gave this book a solid 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore is a tense, intriguing, and heartfelt story of pre- Civil War Philadelphia and the lives of three Black women whose lives become entangled in hope, fear, and friendship. Charlotte escaped White Oaks plantation with her father, leaving behind dear friends in order to gain their own freedom. Charlotte’s father passes as a white woodworker and becomes a respected businessman. But he forces Charlotte to adopt the role of servant in his house in order to keep her safe.
Charlotte chafes as this and rebels by sneaking out and striking up a friendship with Nell, a woman born and raised in Philadelphia, never having known the life of a slave or servant as her family is one of the wealthiest Black families in the city. Nell is becoming an abolitionist, working to raise funds and interest in the cause. Nell introduces Charlotte to Black society, not realizing the truth of Charlotte’s past. A past that shows up unexpectedly in the person of Evie, a slave from White Oaks who is brought to town by the widow of the plantation. Evie hopes to escape while in Philadelphia, and enlists Charlotte and Nell’s help. While the city boils over into riots and chaos, the three women must come to terms with deception, broken trust, and painful truths in order to survive.

Lattimore does a wonderful job of weaving the three women’s stories together and creating a narrative that maintains the urgency and tension of 1830s Philadelphia throughout the novel. Illustrating the dichotomy of the experiences of Black families in the States pre-Civil War, Lattimore helps one realizes how precarious the line between slavery and freedom truly was. The characters were developed, but I felt that at times they were a bit one note- especially Charlotte’s father. His was not a small role in the outcome of the story, yet you barely get a feel of who he was. And the end seemed a little too neat. Ultimately though, the story was too interesting and the urgency too real for me to put the book down. I have not read much about this time period in US history and now I want to learn/ read more. I definitely recommend All We Were Promised and it earns a 4/5 rating. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC as I offer this honest review.

This book was just as much of an education as a great novel. The novel takes place in Philadelphia in the mid-1800's where there existed a quite affluent and educated black society Pennsylvania being a free state.. Some, particularly women, were active in assisting escaped and former slaves. Charlotte and her father, James are runaway slaves who settle quite nicely in Philadelphia. James has fair skin and passes himself off as a white businessman pretending Charlottes is his housemaid. Charlotte befriends Nell (unbeknownst to her father) whose affluent black family has never been slaves and doesn't want much to do with the abolitionist cause. Nell defies her parents by becoming active in the abolitionist movement.

Kate, the daughter of James and Charlotte's former owner arrives in Philadelphia with Charlotte's replacement, Evie. Kate is also living a lie to keep her wealthy fiancé who plans to take her and Evie down South to his cotton plantation where he'll become wealthier off the backs of many slaves.

The story revolves around Nell and Charlotte, though from. many different backgrounds, who became active in various local abolitionist groups. Eventually, they meet up with Evie who seeks their assistance in escaping Kate's grasp. We watch how Evie runs and hides in Charlotte's bedroom awaiting transport to the North. At the same time James, out to impress his wealthy business associates, hosts a dinner where Kate and her fiancé show up to recognize her family's escaped slaves - James and Charlotte. Read the book to see what happens!

This story was inspired by the abolitionist riots in Philadelphia during 1837. In fact, some of the characters in the book are based on real people. My favorite character, Hetty Reckless, was one of those historical characters. I loved how the author wrote the story in the alternating perspectives of Nell, an elite society black woman, Charlotte, a runaway slave now free woman, and Evie, a current slave. It made the story more interesting and well-balanced. The plot had several twists and turns that kept it intriguing. If you are looking for a historical fiction not set in the WWII era, this is a great book to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Three black women in 1837 Philadelphia, all searching to better themselves, Charlotte, an escaped slave with her father as he passes for white, Nell a society lady and Evie a childhood friend of Charlotte who desperately is trying to be free. Ashton Lattimore weaves a very realistic story of freedom and the anti-slavery movement in her debut novel. A fascinating read through the lives of these black women during a very dangerous time in supposedly free Philadelphia. I highly recommend this book for those who like independent women and historical fiction.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This story unfolds in 1830s Philadelphia and is based on historical events and real people. Philadelphia is a sharply divided city relative to issues of slavery. There are whites, free blacks, and slaves that are brought into the city by their southern owners who travel for business. They can be kept as slaves for six months before the owners must leave Philadelphia or their slaves will be freed.

We follow an escaped slave and his daughter, Charlotte. He can pass as white, but his darker daughter has to act as his servant. Nell, a free black woman from a wealthy family, is fighting to abolish slavery and help escapees go further north to real freedom. As Charlotte begins to secretly work with Nell, she recognizes Evie, her friend from the White Oaks Plantation. When Charlotte and her father escaped, Evie had to take over all of Charlotte's duties. They plan to help Evie get her freedom.

The reader learns about the historic Philadelphia Hall, a magnificent building constructed by blacks where they could meet and discuss issues with whites who are trying to help the cause. Unfortunately, not all whites in Philadelphia agree with this lofty ambition and riots ensue.

For those of you looking for a historical fiction novel that does not revolve around World War II, this is it! All We Were Promised is an engaging debut following the lives of three young black women in 1830’s Philadelphia. Nell, a freeborn from a prominent black family spends her days talking about freeing the slaves, Charlotte, an escaped slave, spends her days working as a housekeeper while looking over her shoulder, and Evie, a slave, spends her day taking care of a heartless mistress and dreaming of being free. I could not love this book anymore. The writing was amazing and the character growth and development was outstanding. This is easily my favorite historical fiction novel of the year.

It's 1837 in Philadelphia, and after four years in the city, Charlotte's father James is finally establishing himself as a renowned businessman. The only catch is that Charlotte and James are runaway slaves from Maryland, and while James is passing as white, Charlotte has been stuck in the role of his black housemaid, unable to pursue the activism and education she longs for for fear of exposing her father's secrets. But when their former mistress arrives in town with one of their close friends still enslaved, Charlotte realizes that she must act to help free her friend and walk a tightrope to avoid getting herself or her father captured.

This book does a good job of highlighting the frustratingly slow abolitionist movement and the slaver-friendly laws in "free" states (for example, you could bring your slaves with you and keep them enslaved, as long as you didn't stay more than 6 months) in the years leading up to the Civil War. However, there were elements of the story that just felt a bit too unbelievable (particularly near the end), which took me out of the story. A better book on a similar topic is "James" by Percival Everett.

Set in Philadelphia in 1837, All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore is told from the points of view of 3 different, yet similar, women.

Nell is raised a free black woman in Philadelphia. She thinks she can relate to the slave experience. She empathizes with black enslaved people, but she really has no idea.

Charlotte is James housemaid. James is a fair skinned man who is making a name in Philadelphia society. But they are connected on a much deeper level.

Evie is the slave girl visiting Philadelphia with her owner, Kate.

The lives of these three will converge and they’ll never be the same.

I was fascinated by all the facets of life in Philadelphia for black people in 1837. As these three women’s stories are told, we also get a glimpse of the society surrounding everyone as they navigate freedom, enslavement, and all the in-between.

This book was very good. If you want to learn something new about US history, check this one out.

Thank you to @netgalley and #ballentinebooks for the e-copy of #allwewerepromised . This book published April 2, 2024.

Despite being a slow build, it was evident there was a lot of research put into this book. I learned a lot. I was unsure in the beginning because it really was a slow burn, but the payoff was worth it.

Escaped slave Charlotte and her father (who can pass for white) settle in 1837 Philadelphia, but it’s definitely an “always looking over their shoulders” situation, and Charlotte has to pretend she’s her father’s servant. She befriends Nell, an idealistic free young Black woman who wants to work for the abolitionists’ cause. Charlotte pushes Nell and other women who oppose slavery to take more action when Evie, a friend from her slave days in the Carolinas, arrives in the city and seeks a way out of her own situation. A fascinating look at what life was like in my local area almost 200 years ago: I learned quite a bit about history from reading this novel. Couldn’t put it down! (Netgalley review; now available)

A decent read with great characters and an even better atmosphere. Thank you for allowing me to read this. :)

ALL WE WERE PROMISED by Ashton Lattimore is a debut novel and a work of historical fiction set in Philadelphia prior to the Civil War. The happenings revolve around three women termed the rebel ... the socialite ... and the fugitive by the publisher. Charlotte is a former slave who has run away and now poses as a housemaid for her white-passing father; she resents the hierarchy in their relationship and longs for true freedom. Many of her efforts go towards befriending Nell, a young and relatively wealthy Black socialite with connections to the local abolitionist societies. Together, they advocate for helping Evie, a young girl who was like a sister to Charlotte and who is now in Philadelphia with her mistress. Aiding an escape for Evie is a dangerous undertaking and Lattimore does an excellent job of subtly critiquing the hypocrisy of Charlotte's father, Nell's family, and other wealthy abolitionists. However, the story's pace was quite slow; that ongoing frustration paralleled the characters' feelings since they, too, had little agency over events.

I wanted to love this but it fell flat for me. The characters felt out of place for the time, I didn’t connect and the overall story was very slow

Another I have to thank NetGalley for putting on my radar, but in the end I listened to the excellent audiobook. I'm not especially fond of Civil War stories, but this is pre-Civil War Philadelphia and gave an interesting perspective on slaves vs free Blacks during this time. We have a slave visiting from Maryland with her master, a father/daughter couple who had escaped that same master and are living free, and the privileged, respected free Black society of the time. Don't skip the Authors Notes which explained what inspired her. I didn't expect her to mention Jean Valjean and his daughter.

A noteworthy debut, to say the least.

This is a poignant and intricately woven narrative set against the turbulent backdrop of pre-Civil War Philadelphia. This novel brilliantly captures the essence of the era, immersing readers in the palpable tension and the fiery spirit of abolitionism that defined the period. Doe’s meticulous attention to historical accuracy paints a vivid tableau of 1830s Philadelphia, providing an immersive experience that both educates and enthralls.

The story centers around Charlotte, a brave young woman who carries a perilous secret and dreams of true freedom, which feels ever elusive even in the so-called land of liberty. Her plight intersects with Nell, a passionate and wealthy abolitionist, demonstrating the complex dynamics and precarious alliances formed in the shadow of slavery. The addition of Evie, a desperate fugitive from the South, escalates the stakes, weaving a narrative rich with suspense and emotional depth.

The storytelling is nothing short of phenomenal. She deftly crafts a narrative that is as heart-wrenching as it is inspiring, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and the relentless quest for freedom. The characters are beautifully developed, their interwoven destinies pulling the reader into a relentless current of intrigue and moral dilemmas.

All We Were Promised is a testament to the enduring spirit of those who fought against the injustices of their time. It is a gripping, beautifully told story that honors the complexity of history and the individuals who strive to shape it. Highly recommended for its compelling characters, evocative setting, and its profound portrayal of courage and resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity.