The Golden Hour
The Golden Hour by Fayla Ott, published by Heritage Group Distribution on March 7, 2023, is a historical fiction novel that delves into the complexities of family, faith, and the harsh realities of life in the antebellum South. Set in 1852 in the Delta of Mississippi, the narrative begins with the decision of the Banks family at Arledge Hall Plantation to sell a young slave named Thomas to the Stanfords of a neighboring plantation. This choice triggers a series of tragic events that test the honor and faith of both families involved, highlighting the brutality that existed even before the Civil War.
Readers will find a gripping exploration of the emotional turmoil faced by Joe and Lucy, Thomas’s parents, as they grapple with the loss of their son and the moral dilemmas posed by their circumstances. The story unfolds against a backdrop of cruelty and tension, with themes of vengeance and the struggle for dignity interwoven throughout. As Joe takes a stand against the overseer’s abuses, the narrative reveals how personal choices can lead to devastating consequences, impacting relationships and igniting conflicts between the two families. This edition spans 390 pages and is presented in English, inviting readers to immerse themselves in a decade-long journey at Arledge Hall, the first installment of a trilogy that promises further exploration of these intertwined lives.
Official synopsis Publisher
In 1852, deep in the Delta of Mississippi, the choice to sell one slave sets in motion a series of
tragic events for two families that will test the honor and faith of all.
Years before the brutality of the Civil War, acts of callous cruelty were already a way of life. In
the rich alluvial soil of the Mississippi River, the Banks family of Arledge Hall Plantation decides
expansion is in order. To raise money for more land, a young slave is sold to the Stanfords of
Five Oaks, a neighboring plantation. The sale of Thomas rips him from his parents, Joe and Lucy,
and puts members of the Banks family at odds with each other as some of them know how
dangerous the Stanford’s abusive overseer can be. Merciless and vindictive, the overseer is a
brute who has no respect for any man, regardless of skin color, and even less respect for
women.
Joe and Lucy grieve the absence of their son, knowing only God alone can protect Thomas. But
trying to find acceptance that their usually docile master sold their child requires a strength
they’re not sure they have. As they grapple with heartache, circumstances find Joe protecting a
woman from the overseer’s advances, a decision that guarantees retribution by way of Thomas.
In turn, this creates an unimaginable domino effect of vengeance, intimidation, and eventually,
murder, rending the two southern families’ friendship and fracturing the budding romances
between the Stanford and Banks children–although forbidden fruit tempts all the more.
As a vengeful enemy continues to threaten the occupants of Arledge Hall, Joe’s courageous
faith shines like a beacon in a storm. But as a final cruel twist of fate plays out, can the two
families endure while facing the approaching threat of war?
Spend a decade at Arledge Hall in this first book of the trilogy
and discover why you’ll want to visit again and again.
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