A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole {review}
12/12/2017
A Hope Divided (The Loyal League #2)- Alyssa Cole
My Review: 5 Stars
If all historical fiction was as excellent as Alyssa Cole's The Loyal League series is, I would read much more historical fiction. Discovering her writing this year has been an absolute gift and I was delighted her latest novel exceeded my expectations.
A Hope Divided introduces us to Marlie, a freed biracial woman, and Ewan, an escaped prisoner of the Confederate and also Malcolm's brother. (An Extraordinary Union is Malcolm's story but you don't need to read it first. Although you should totally still read it.)
Marlie was raised by her formerly enslaved mother, a root worker, and learned how to make herbal remedies, along with the superstitions. When she goes to live with her white family at the Lynch plantation, she's introduced to science and more modern beliefs about medicine. Whether Marlie was preparing plants to make a poultice or diagnosing someone's malady, I loved every part of the story that dealt with her abilities as a healer.
Marlie was fiercely intelligent and compassionate. She's torn between the ways of her mother and the ways of the white world she now finds herself in. She doesn't fully belong in either place and I think this is why she throws herself so fully into her studies and improving how she makes her remedies. She's also lonely. She may have the Lynch name but she doesn't have the same freedoms as her white sister.
Marlie's sister Sarah is an abolitionist and the women are a part of the Underground Railroad. Marlie is also a part of the Loyal League, passing along information to the Union Army. Marlie regularly visits the prison to aid the sick and bring what's essentially a lending library. This is how she meets Ewan. They have a meeting of the minds, scribbling thoughts and opinions into the pages of books they pass back and forth. Let me tell you: their banter was on fire!
Ewan is a tortured soul and I found him to be intelligent and kind. However, he believes himself to be a sociopath because of what he did on behalf of the Union Army. He has powerful skills of observation and ways of making people talk. I wondered if he might be high functioning on the Autism scale because of how his mind seemed to work. Ewan is lonely too and the connection he forms with Marlie is powerful, even if neither can act on it.
When Ewan escapes prison, he ends up hiding in Marlie's house...while it's being occupied by the Home Guard. My heart was in my throat once this happened because of the extremely high tension. I worried for Marlie and Ewan and what would happen if they were caught. And at the same time, this afforded them the opportunity to get to know each other better and deepen their connection.
Cole weaves in such fascinating historical facts. Not everyone in the South fought for the Confederacy. Besides abolitionists, Quakers and poor people wanted to stay out of the fight. Abolitionists had their own prejudices, which we see in Marlie's sister Sarah. Her characters are complex and she gives them room to wrestle with their doubts and insecurities, even in the face of dangerous circumstances. It makes for a book that's hard to put down!
This is a slow burn romance and I greatly appreciated how Cole developed the romance around the events. They never lost sight of the stakes, nor their need to stay alive, no matter how great their chemistry was. When they finally declared their feelings, I wanted to swoon and cheer! This was such an incredibly satisfying book and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the series.
Bonus: read the author's article on Spiritual Healing And Civil War-Era Medical Science.
Synopsis
The Civil War has turned neighbor against neighbor--but for one scientist spy and her philosopher soldier, war could bind them together . . .
For three years of the War Between the States, Marlie Lynch has helped the cause in peace: with coded letters about anti-Rebel uprisings in her Carolina woods, tisanes and poultices for Union prisoners, and silent aid to fleeing slave and Freeman alike. Her formerly enslaved mother's traditions and the name of a white father she never knew have protected her--until the vicious Confederate Home Guard claims Marlie's home for their new base of operations in the guerilla war against Southern resistors of the Rebel cause.
Unbeknowst to those under her roof, escaped prisoner Ewan McCall is sheltering in her laboratory. Seemingly a quiet philosopher, Ewan has his own history with the cruel captain of the Home Guard, and a thoughtful but unbending strength Marlie finds irresistible.
When the revelation of a stunning family secret places Marlie's freedom on the line, she and Ewan have to run for their lives into the hostile Carolina night. Following the path of the Underground Railroad, they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle that could dash their hopes of love--and freedom--before they ever cross state lines.
Buy The Book Here:
Take $5 off your Amazon book purchase of $15 or more with the coupon BOOKGIFT17. One time use. Good through midnight on 12/14/17.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.