As a divided America approaches Civil War, Thomas Andrews, his wife Lyddie, and their three children lead a comfortable though hard-working life on their Virginia farm.  They also own slaves: Sadie and Jenny, who assist with the multiple responsibilities which fall to a farmer’s wife; and Moses and Shadrack, who work in the barn and the fields.  This is for Thomas the “proper” way of doing things, the way he was brought up to believe in and respect, and has always known.  But his ongoing conflict with his wife, whose family did not own slaves, and some eye-opening experiences of his own, begin to create a different perspective.  In addition, events on the farm and actions by household members add to the need for a fresh look at the realities of an ongoing situation.  As it happens, several of the enslaved people in our story find an early release from their involuntary servitude.  And one emancipated family exemplifies the courage, hard work, and determination needed for the formerly enslaved to move on and create for themselves a better life.  Similar issues regarding race are still with us, making this tale relevant to our current condition.

About the Author:

Harriet Schley was born in Manhattan, NYC, in 1934.  She graduated from Swarthmore College with a major in Economics and Psychology in 1956, and earned a Master’s in American History from Morgan State College in 1971.  She has been a Quaker since the age of 30.  She currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.