FIVE STARS!  Readers' Favorite Keeper of Slaves: Book Two by Dickie Erman is a historical fiction tale set in the pre-Civil War days of America in the South. 

This is the second part in a series of books based around the lives of some of the characters who live in New Orleans in the 1850s. The story introduces us to Trent, a plantation owner, and his wife, Collette. Trent has an affair with one of his slaves, Amana, and the resulting relationship dynamics of this are a major part of the story. 

There is also Senator Jeb Harrison and his wife Caroline where Jeb is having an affair of his own and Collette and Caroline are in a relationship. Then there's also the slave Tabari and his struggle for freedom, and the help given to him by some of the people around at the risk of their own lives.

Besides these, there are several other characters and the story connects all of them in different ways as we read about their joys and triumphs, their sorrows, anxieties, and suffering, and of course the sheer horror and anguish of the slave life. 

I found Keeper of Slaves: Book Two to be an engrossing story and the characters are well developed, real and relatable. Most of these men and women are people that are easy to imagine as probably existing in those times. 

The characters have been portrayed with depth and detail and the writing itself is top-notch. I also appreciated that the book does not shy away from depicting the stark reality of slavery where possible. In fact, I hope that we see more of this in the future. 

Overall, this is an extremely well-written book that I would recommend reading.  Gisela Dixon, Reader's Favorite