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Once in a Blood Moon
Once in a Blood Moon By Dorothea Hubble Bonneau Inspired by a true story Synopsis Heaven Hill Plantation, upriver from Georgetown, South Carolina, 1807: Sixteen-year-old Alexandra Degambia walks a tightrope between her parents’ ambitions. Her father, a prosperous African American plantation owner, wants to preserve the heritage of his Gambian ancestors. But her mother, who can pass for white, seeks to distance herself from her African American roots and position herself in the elite society of wealthy free-women-of-color. Alexandra dreams of establishing her own place in the world as an accomplished violinist. She assumes her talent and her family’s wealth will pave her way to success. Then her mother dies of consumption and her father is murdered by racist officials eager to seize Heaven Hill for their own. Alexandra, heiress to Heaven Hill, has a target on her back. She’s forced to flee for her life. What the future holds is uncertain. Sometimes destiny has its own plans.
Reviews
Kirkus Review

KIRKUS REVIEW

THE HEIRESS OF HEAVEN Dorothea Hubble Bonneau Manuscript (339 p.)

BOOK REVIEW

In this historical novel by Bonneau (To destroy you is no loss, 1992) a young, biracial girl in South Carolina struggles with her status as the heiress to a plantation.

It’s October 1807, just three months before Alexandra de Gambia’s 16th birthday. For the duration of her young life, she’s thought of a black girl named Lulu as her playmate. Now, as she grows older, she must confront the fact that their relationship is that of mistress and slave. Heaven’s Hill, the plantation owned by her parents who live apart, is divided in two. Her biracial mother, Josephine, rules over the big house and its slaves, and her father, a prosperous, black landowner who goes by the nickname “The Panther,” lives with other free people of color in a village that’s a replica of his Gambian ancestors’ home. The trans-Atlantic slave trade is on the brink of being outlawed, and Alexandra is torn between two worlds: Her mother wants her to “pass” in so-called “high-born” white society. Alexandra wants Lulu and the other slaves to get their freedom. Alexandra overhears local white men planning to burn down her father’s stables because they think that it “Ain’t right for a darkie to own all this land,” and then a brutally racist new sheriff arrives. Will she be able to bridge the gap between black and white townsfolk?

This is a riveting story that addresses the often overlooked and controversial topic of free black people owning slaves in America. Bonneau is a skilled storyteller who also ably weaves African spirituality into her plot. Alexandra’s internal battles with an African ghost, which visits her when she’s weak or fearful, are fascinating: “‘You don’t have the courage to do this thing,’ the Ahoelra whispers. ‘I do have the courage,’ she whispers back.” Alexandra is a tenacious heroine who’s easy to root for, and the author elegantly articulates her precarious position between white and black society. Overall, this novel explores issues of equality and personal freedom in thought-provoking ways.

Sharp writing, an original plot, and a strong female protagonist make for an engrossing read.

 

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