by M.E. Torrey

Six year-old Monette grew up as the pampered daughter of a French Creole sugar planter. When her father dies, his son sells her into slavery. She and a young boy, Cyrus, are bought at auction by William Jensey and taken to Fox Creek plantation in Louisiana. Cyrus is sent to the fields to work but Monette, who speaks French, becomes the companion to their daughter,Kate. Monette is to teach Kate some French and she and Kate become best friends. Monette thinks that she is part of the family and doesn’t realize that her light colored skin still makes her a Negro. The other slaves in the household think that Monette is uppity because of her higher place in the household as Kate’s companion. As her attachment to Kate and her brother,Breck becomes stronger their lives are turned upside down.

I was pulled into this story set in the 1834 antebellum south from the very first page. Although the descriptions of slavery were difficult to read, I loved this family saga with a strong sense of place, well drawn characters, the description of the daily workings of the plantation and the gripping plot of a way of life that is facing a divided nation. Fox Creek begs for a sequel. I hope you are listening M.E. Torrey!

Fox Creek will be published on September 1, 2025. Thanks to Sly Fox Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

P.S. It has been revealed by the author that this story will continue as a trilogy!