Honor Bright, a young Quaker woman, accompanies her sister Grace to America from Dorset in England. Grace is to marry Adam Cox, who had emigrated to America before them. Grace falls ill with yellow fever before she reaches her final destination in Ohio and dies. Honor continues her journey to meet up with Adam.
Belle Mills, a milliner, asks Honor to stay with her for a couple of days until Adam can come fetch her. Belle puts Honor to work making bonnets for her shop. She gifts Honor a grey bonnet with a yellow lining before she leaves.
Adam Cox has lost his brother as well as his fiancée in a short time frame. He intends to live with his brother’s widow, and his late fiancée’s sister. However, in the 1850s and in the Quaker community this living arrangement is frowned upon. It doesn’t take long until the bans are read for Adam and Abigail. Honor receives a proposal from Jack Haymaker which she accepts.
Throughout the book it’s clear that Honor abhors slavery and will help runaway slaves to their next stop on the Underground Railway, whether it be by providing directions, or providing a place to sleep and/or food.
I liked the character Honor, she didn’t deserve the dragon of a mother in law she got. Her attraction to Donovan is incomprehensible to me now, but who hasn’t had a questionable crush, especially in their late teens/early twenties?
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2024.
Prompt 12: A book about an escape.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
