A More Perfect Union

by Tammye Huf Narrated by Gary Furlong, Chanté McCormick, Patryce Williams

Overview

Inspired by true events, A More Perfect Union is an epic story of love and courage, desperation and determination, and three people whose lives are inescapably entwined...

Henry O'Toole sails to America in 1848 to escape the famine in Ireland, only to face anti-immigrant prejudice. Determined never to starve again, he changes his surname to Taylor and heads south to Virginia, seeking work as a traveling blacksmith on the prosperous plantations.

Torn from her home and sold to Jubilee Plantation, Sarah must navigate its intricate hierarchy. And now an enigmatic blacksmith is promising her not just the world but also her freedom. How could she say no?

Enslaved at Jubilee Plantation, Maple is desperate to return to her husband and daughter. With Sarah's arrival, she sees her chance to be reunited at last with her family-but at what cost?

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2022 - AudioFile

Narrator Gary Furlong uses an Irish lilt to portray naïve Henry O’Toole Taylor, who, after confronting anti-Irish sentiment in New York, drifts south to Virginia. There, in 1848, he plies his blacksmithing trade at Jubilee Plantation, confronts slavery, and falls in love with an enslaved houseworker named Sarah. Narrator Chanté McCormick adopts a soft, melodic voice for Sarah, who must choose between service to her master and her love for Taylor. Maple, a bitter enslaved house servant and half-sister to Jubilee’s master, is credibly portrayed with a soft Southern accent by Patryce Williams. Furlong, McCormick, and Williams capture scenes ranging from a secretive romance and daily household routines to graphic descriptions of brutality in the antebellum South. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

11/29/2021

Huf debuts with a wrenching chronicle of slavery in the U.S. inspired by the experiences of her great-great grandparents, an Irish immigrant and an enslaved Black woman. In 1848, Henry O’Toole flees the potato famine in Ireland, arriving penniless and starving in New York City. Anti-Irish prejudice keeps Henry from getting work, so he changes his surname to Taylor and heads to Virginia. After working as a blacksmith making neck rings and wrist shackles at various plantations, Henry falls in love with Sarah, an enslaved woman at Jubilee Plantation. They try to keep their illegal relationship secret, but after word gets out, the other enslaved people on the plantation bully and snub Sarah. Then, after witnessing an enslaved worker’s torture, Henry vows he will never make chains again. Narration alternates between Henry, Sarah, and Maple, an enslaved half sister of the plantation master’s wife, who causes trouble for Sarah. It seems as if Sarah will never be free after Henry’s attempts to buy her freedom fail, but the couple’s hope and bravery persist. The descriptions of pain and violence are disturbing if familiar, but this stands out by achieving the tone of a story passed down through generations. It adds up to a memorable tale of love and freedom. Agent: Louisa Pritchard, Louisa Pritchard Agency. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

"A memorable tale of love and freedom."—Publishers Weekly

“Impossible to put down! A startling and hopeful tale."
 —Elizabeth Cobbs, bestselling author of The Tubman Command

APRIL 2022 - AudioFile

Narrator Gary Furlong uses an Irish lilt to portray naïve Henry O’Toole Taylor, who, after confronting anti-Irish sentiment in New York, drifts south to Virginia. There, in 1848, he plies his blacksmithing trade at Jubilee Plantation, confronts slavery, and falls in love with an enslaved houseworker named Sarah. Narrator Chanté McCormick adopts a soft, melodic voice for Sarah, who must choose between service to her master and her love for Taylor. Maple, a bitter enslaved house servant and half-sister to Jubilee’s master, is credibly portrayed with a soft Southern accent by Patryce Williams. Furlong, McCormick, and Williams capture scenes ranging from a secretive romance and daily household routines to graphic descriptions of brutality in the antebellum South. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176405545
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	01/11/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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