This book is a historical fiction from the early parts of the Civil War. The environment for the book is Grand Tower, Illinois, which is on the Mississippi River. This is a small town, with their own values. Into town comes two women, one elegantly dressed, and the other of African descent/ It is assumed they are master and slave; but the have disembarked on free territory. The are taken in as boarders of Tilly's mother takes them in. This results in improved life style, as the purchase candles and many other needed things. Mama's son, Noah is eager to join the war, fighting for the north. He ends up with Ulysses Grant at Cairo, Illinois (pronounces Kayro.) the first major battle in the West, is portrayed in the pages. This took place at Belmont Missouri with Grant sending men south from Cairo by boat. They then engaged the enemy in a battle which ended in a draw, the the Confederates maintained the ground. This has a tremendous effect on our characters. Tilly marries the doctor who treated her Brother. Her brother marries (sort of) the young woman who came to town, and came to Cairo to treat him. The Black woman is her sister. They are New Orleans Free Blacks, and the rule is you don't marry whites. although you become the mistress and they support you. The father was a well-to-do man from New Orleans. There was also tremendous social pressure against them. With the coming of the war, life in New Orleans was bound to change, and for this reason they traveled North.
So this book not only entertains, it also teaches some of race relations of which I wasn't aware. Of course this some problem invades "Showboat" the musical.
I highly recommend this book. I found it very entertaining. It mentions Carbondale, which is where I lived a couple years growing up.
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