Three generations of families in a small town in North Carolina
face hard choices during the late years of the American Revolution. The main character is John, an ex-pirate turned brave soldier who falls in love with Helen. She is the daughter of a successful businessman, Asa, that is unrelenting in his love and his religion. A good person buried deep inside of a slave owning man that lost his wife and raises Helen to the best of his ability. Helen is given a slave friend Moll when she is just a girl and they nurture a sister like love hate relationship for all of their lives. And then there is Tabitha whom John loves with all his heart. He is raising their daughter to the very best of his ability, land bound for ten years since she was born until she contracts yellow fever and they set sail believing the sea may save her. This wonderful small piece of historical fiction is a haunting read. The times are difficult and life was often cut short. Author Katy Simpson Smith truly captures the deep love that bonds father and daughter, the horrific reality of slavery and the moral compass that drove generations of people to accept this and in hardship life in this new America that strove for independence and truly believed in the future. Highly recommend The Story of Land and Sea.
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